Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is a successful pathogen that can reside within the alveolar macrophages of the host and can survive in a latent stage. The pathogen has evolved and developed multiple strategies to resist the host immune responses. M.tb escapes from host macrophage through evasion or subversion of immune effector functions. M.tb genome codes for PE/PPE/PE_PGRS proteins, which are intrinsically disordered, redundant and antigenic in nature. These proteins perform multiple functions that intensify the virulence competence of M.tb majorly by modulating immune responses, thereby affecting immune mediated clearance of the pathogen. The highly repetitive, redundant and antigenic nature of PE/PPE/PE_PGRS proteins provide a critical edge over other M.tb proteins in terms of imparting a higher level of virulence and also as a decoy molecule that masks the effect of effector molecules, thereby modulating immuno-surveillance. An understanding of how these proteins subvert the host immunological machinery may add to the current knowledge about M.tb virulence and pathogenesis. This can help in redirecting our strategies for tackling M.tb infections.
Highlights
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Pathology, Ansari Nagar West, New Delhi 110029, India; Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India; Jamia Hamdard Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India; Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D), Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
Macrophages are primarily efficient in clearing pathogens; M.tb can survive intracellularly within the niche of macrophage itself
M.tb has evolved various mechanisms that allow it to hijack the process of phagosome-lysosome fusion, inhibit acidification of phagosome, suppress autophagy and apoptosis pathways used by macrophage for the clearance of pathogens [4,5,6,7]
Summary
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE_PGRS Protein Family Acts as an Immunological Decoy to Subvert Host Immune Response. Tarina Sharma 1,† , Anwar Alam 1,†,‡ , Aquib Ehtram 2,† , Anshu Rani 1,2 , Sonam Grover 3 , Nasreen Z.
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