Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Promoter Capture Hi-C: High-resolution, Genome-wide Profiling of Promoter Interactions
Published on: June 28, 2018
Promoter variation in the DC-SIGN-encoding gene CD209 is associated with tuberculosis
Luis B Barreiro1, Olivier Neyrolles, Chantal L Babb
1CNRS FRE2849, Unit of Molecular Prevention and Therapy of Human Diseases, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Background:
Tuberculosis, which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The C-type lectin DC-SIGN is known to be the major M. tuberculosis receptor on human dendritic cells. We reasoned that if DC-SIGN interacts with M. tuberculosis, as well as with other pathogens, variation in this gene might have a broad range of influence in the pathogenesis of a number of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis.
Methods And Findings:
We tested whether polymorphisms in CD209, the gene encoding DC-SIGN, are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis through sequencing and genotyping analyses in a South African cohort. After exclusion of significant population stratification in our cohort, we observed an association between two CD209 promoter variants (-871G and -336A) and decreased risk of developing tuberculosis. By looking at the geographical distribution of these variants, we observed that their allelic combination is mainly confined to Eurasian populations.
Conclusions:
Our observations suggest that the two -871G and -336A variants confer protection against tuberculosis. In addition, the geographic distribution of these two alleles, together with their phylogenetic status, suggest that they may have increased in frequency in non-African populations as a result of host genetic adaptation to a longer history of exposure to tuberculosis. Further characterization of the biological consequences of DC-SIGN variation in tuberculosis will be crucial to better appreciate the role of this lectin in interactions between the host immune system and the tubercle bacillus as well as other pathogens.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Eukaryotic Promoter Region
Master Transcription Regulators
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
The Eukaryotic Promoter Region
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the progression...

