Secreted proteins of Mycobacterium leprae

Abstract

In mycobacteria, secreted proteins represent a distinct group, probably of particular importance for development of immune responses following infection. Quantification of individual proteins in culture fluid and corresponding disrupted bacilli permits determination of a localization index for identification of secreted proteins. This procedure cannot be applied to Mycobacterium leprae because secreted proteins are lost during isolation of bacilli from tissues. The DNA sequences of secreted proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were compared with sequences of M. leprae. Genes for homologues of the 85a, 85b, 85c, mpt32 (apa), mpt51, erp, mtc28, Rv2376c, Rv3354 and Rv0526 genes were identified. All of these contain signal sequences typical for secretion in M. leprae. In several instances the local distance between marker genes and occurrence on the same or the complementary DNA strand was similar in these two species. The genomic organisation of genes for secreted proteins is thus very similar in M. leprae and M. tuberculosis, the homology being higher for the mature polypeptide chains than for the corresponding signal peptides.