title: Detection of RNA expression from pseudogenes and non-coding genomic regions of Mycobacterium leprae.
abstract: We have previously reported that some pseudogenes are expressed in Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae), the causative agent of leprosy, and that their expression levels alter upon infection of macrophages. We attempted to further examine the expression of pseudogene and non-coding genomic region in M. leprae, in this study. 19 Pseudogenes, 17 non-coding genomic regions, and 21 coding genes expression in M. leprae maintained in the footpads of the hypertensive nude rat (SHR/NCrj-rnu) were examined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of some of these pseudogenes, non-coding genomic regions and coding genes were also examined in M. leprae from skin smear specimens obtained from patients with lepromatous leprosy by RT-PCR. Transcripts from pseudogenes, non-coding genomic regions and coding genes examined in this study were clearly observed in M. leprae. The expression patterns of some of these transcripts vary greatly among different leprosy patients. These results indicate that some of pseudogenes and non-coding genomic regions are transcribed in M. leprae and analysis of RNA expression patterns including pseudogene and non-coding genomic region in M. leprae may be useful in understanding the pathological states of infected patients.
authors: Department of Bioregulation, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Aoba-cho, Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Kazuaki
authors: K
authors: Nakamura
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Akama
authors: Pham Dang
authors: PD
authors: Bang
authors: Shin
authors: S
authors: Sekimura
authors: Kazunari
authors: K
authors: Tanigawa
authors: Huhehasi
authors: H
authors: Wu
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Kawashima
authors: Moyuru
authors: M
authors: Hayashi
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Suzuki
authors: Norihisa
authors: N
authors: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011544:Pseudogenes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D022661:RNA, Untranslated