title: The heat shock response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: linking gene expression, immunology and pathogenesis.
abstract: The regulation of heat shock protein (HSP) expression is critically important to pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and dysregulation of the heat shock response results in increased immune recognition of the bacterium and reduced survival during chronic infection. In this study we use a whole genome spotted microarray to characterize the heat shock response of M. tuberculosis. We also begin a dissection of this important stress response by generating deletion mutants that lack specific transcriptional regulators and examining their transcriptional profiles under different stresses. Understanding the stimuli and mechanisms that govern heat shock in mycobacteria will allow us to relate observed in vivo expression patterns of HSPs to particular stresses and physiological conditions. The mechanisms controlling HSP expression also make attractive drug targets as part of a strategy designed to enhance immune recognition of the bacterium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, London SW7 2AZ, UK. g.stewart@ic.ac.uk
authors.forename: Graham R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Lorenz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wernisch
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stabler
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mangan
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hinds
authors.forename: Ken G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Laing
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Butcher
authors.forename: Douglas B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Young