Does the lipR gene of tubercle bacilli have a role in tuberculosis transmission and pathogenesis?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipases, a diverse class of enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, may have an important role in tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis. We explored the association of large sequence polymorphism (LSP) in one of the M. tuberculosis lipase-encoding genes, lipR (Rv3084), with patient characteristics using a population-based sample of clinical isolates to elucidate the potential role of lipR in TB pathogenesis. LSP in lipR was found in 104 (15.6%) of 665 isolates, of which 96% belonged to principal genetic group 3. When linkage by molecular type and epidemiologic evidence were compared, molecularly clustered cases infected with a lipR LSP isolate were more often epidemiologically linked than clustered cases infected with a lipR wild-type isolate. Further epidemiologic and functional studies are necessary to determine if the association between this lipR LSP and recent transmission we identified in this population reflects a functional role of lipR in TB transmission and pathogenesis or other unidentified mechanisms.
Sheline
Katherine D
KD
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA.
France
Anne M
AM
Talarico
Sarah
S
Foxman
Betsy
B
Zhang
Lixin
L
Marrs
Carl F
CF
Bates
Joseph H
JH
Cave
M Donald
MD
Yang
Zhenhua
Z
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001131:Arkansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004950:Esterases / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006867:Hydrolases; D004950:Esterases; C547474:lipR protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv