PhoP, a key player in Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence.
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis PhoPR two-component system is essential for virulence in animal models of tuberculosis. Recent articles have shown that among the reasons for the attenuation of the M. tuberculosis H37Ra strain is a mutation in the phoP gene that prevents the secretion of proteins that are important for virulence. There is a need for new anti-tubercular therapies because of the emergence of multi-drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains and also the variable efficacy of the currently used bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine. Because of its major role in M. tuberculosis pathogenicity, PhoP is a potential target candidate. This review summarizes our understanding of PhoPR's role in virulence and discusses areas in which our knowledge is limited.
Public Health Research Institute Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 225 Warren Street Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
Michelle
M
Ryndak
Shuishu
S
Wang
Issar
I
Smith
D000818:Animals; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C061279:PhoR protein, Bacteria; C061064:PhoP protein, Bacteria