Abstract
Although the 16-kDa alpha-crystallin homologue of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the dominant protein produced by stationary phase cultures in vitro, it is undetectable in logarithmically growing cultures. By growing bacilli at defined oxygen concentrations, acr transcription was shown to be strongly induced by mildly hypoxic conditions. Acr expression also was found to be induced during the course of in vitro infection of macrophages. The acr gene was replaced with a hygromycin resistance cassette by allelic exchange in MTB H37Rv. The resulting Deltaacr::hpt strain was shown to be equivalent to wild-type H37Rv in in vitro growth rate and infectivity but was significantly impaired for growth in both mouse bone marrow derived macrophages and THP-1 cells. In addition to its proposed role in maintenance of long-term viability during latent, asymptomatic infections, these results establish a role for the Acr protein in replication during initial MTB infection.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
