TY - JOUR KW - Animals KW - Antibodies, Bacterial KW - Antigens, Bacterial KW - Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial KW - Humans KW - leprosy KW - Mice KW - Mice, Inbred BALB C KW - Mycobacterium leprae KW - Peptide Hydrolases KW - Skin AU - Ribeiro-Guimarães ML AU - Tempone AJ AU - Amaral JJ AU - Nery JA AU - Antunes S AU - Pessolani M AB -

Proteases are commonly involved in bacterial pathogenesis and their inhibition has represented a successful therapeutic approach to treat infectious diseases. However, there is little information on the role of proteases in the pathogenesis of Mycobacteria. Five of these genes, three coding for putative secreted proteases, were selected in the present study to investigate their expression in Mycobacterium leprae isolated from skin biopsies of multibacillary leprosy patients. Via nested-PCR, it was demonstrated that mycP1 or ML0041, htrA2 or ML0176, htrA4 or ML2659, gcp or ML0379 and clpC or ML0235 are transcribed in vivo during the course of human infection. Moreover, the expression of Gcp in leprosy lesions was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry using a specific hyperimmune serum. This observation reinforces the potential role of mycobacterial proteases in the context of leprosy pathogenesis.

BT - Microbial pathogenesis C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17624714?dopt=Abstract DA - 2007 Nov-Dec DO - 10.1016/j.micpath.2007.05.011 IS - 5-6 J2 - Microb. Pathog. LA - eng N2 -

Proteases are commonly involved in bacterial pathogenesis and their inhibition has represented a successful therapeutic approach to treat infectious diseases. However, there is little information on the role of proteases in the pathogenesis of Mycobacteria. Five of these genes, three coding for putative secreted proteases, were selected in the present study to investigate their expression in Mycobacterium leprae isolated from skin biopsies of multibacillary leprosy patients. Via nested-PCR, it was demonstrated that mycP1 or ML0041, htrA2 or ML0176, htrA4 or ML2659, gcp or ML0379 and clpC or ML0235 are transcribed in vivo during the course of human infection. Moreover, the expression of Gcp in leprosy lesions was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry using a specific hyperimmune serum. This observation reinforces the potential role of mycobacterial proteases in the context of leprosy pathogenesis.

PY - 2007 SP - 249 EP - 54 T2 - Microbial pathogenesis TI - Expression analysis of proteases of Mycobacterium leprae in human skin lesions. VL - 43 SN - 0882-4010 ER -