Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
09:57
System for Efficacy and Cytotoxicity Screening of Inhibitors Targeting Intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Published on: April 5, 2017
Mycobacterium tuberculosis ftsH expression in response to stress and viability
Manjot Kiran1, Ashwini Chauhan, Renata Dziedzic
1Biochemistry Department, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, 11937 US Hwy 271, Tyler, TX 75708, USA.
Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
|December 17, 2009
Summary
Mycobacterium tuberculosis FtsH protease is upregulated during stress, enhancing resistance to reactive oxygen intermediates. Overexpression of FtsH delays growth and reduces FtsZ levels, suggesting a role in stress response and cell division regulation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Protease Function
Background:
- FtsH is a crucial membrane-bound protease involved in protein degradation.
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) pathogenesis involves complex stress response mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Mtb FtsH in stress response.
- To determine the effect of FtsH expression on Mtb viability and FtsZ levels.
Main Methods:
- Gene expression analysis of ftsH under various stress conditions.
- Phenotypic analysis of Mtb strains with altered ftsH expression.
- Quantification of FtsZ protein levels.
Main Results:
- Mtb ftsH expression is upregulated by reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates (ROI/RNI) and during macrophage infection.
- Overexpression of ftsH confers resistance to ROI but leads to delayed growth and reduced viability.
- FtsH overexpression results in decreased intracellular FtsZ levels.
Conclusions:
- Mtb FtsH acts as a stress-response protein, aiding in coping with ROI.
- FtsH may play a regulatory role in FtsZ levels, impacting cell division in Mtb.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Other Stress Responses in Bacteria
Bacteria have global regulatory systems that control several types of stress mechanisms. These include Pho regulon and the heat shock response, which are essential systems for environmental adaptation, such as nutrient limitation and proteotoxic stress. The Pho regulon and the heat shock response exemplify bacterial resilience, enabling rapid adaptation to fluctuating environmental conditions.Pho RegulonBacteria require phosphorus for essential cellular processes, including nucleic acid...
01:23Stringent Response in E. coli
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
01:23Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health concern, primarily targeting the lungs and spreading through airborne transmission. Infection begins when aerosolized droplet nuclei, expelled by an individual with active TB, are inhaled by another person. These microscopic particles carry Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB. Upon reaching the alveoli, the bacilli are engulfed by alveolar macrophages. However, due to their specialized lipid-rich cell wall, these pathogens...