title: PE11, a PE/PPE family protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is involved in cell wall remodeling and virulence.
abstract: The role of the unique proline-glutamic acid (PE)/proline-proline-glutamic acid (PPE) family of proteins in the pathophysiology and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is not clearly understood. One of the PE family proteins, PE11 (LipX or Rv1169c), specific to pathogenic mycobacteria is found to be over-expressed during infection of macrophages and in active TB patients. In this study, we report that M. smegmatis expressing PE11 (Msmeg-PE11) exhibited altered colony morphology and cell wall lipid composition leading to a marked increase in resistance against various environmental stressors and antibiotics. The cell envelope of Msmeg-PE11 also had greater amount of glycolipids and polar lipids. Msmeg-PE11 was found to have better survival rate in infected macrophages. Mice infected with Msmeg-PE11 had higher bacterial load, showed exacerbated organ pathology and mortality. The liver and lung of Msmeg-PE11-infected mice also had higher levels of IL-10, IL-4 and TNF-α cytokines, indicating a potential role of this protein in mycobacterial virulence.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Nampally, Hyderabad, India.|Graduate Studies, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Parul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Nampally, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Rameshwaram Nagender
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Centre for Lipid Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Jala Ram Chandra
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Centre for Lipid Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: R B N
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Division, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Jamai-Osmania PO, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kotturu
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Division, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Jamai-Osmania PO, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Sudip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Nampally, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Sangita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D030781:Organisms, Genetically Modified; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019076:Transgenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C556062:IL10 protein, mouse; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D037521:Virulence Factors; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4