Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes preferentially expressed during human infection

The identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes, specifically expressed during infection is a key step in understanding molecular mechanism of mycobacterial pathogenesis. Such genes likely encode proteins required for mycobacterium's survival and progressive infection within the host. In this study, we applied in-vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT) to M. tuberculosis and identified 11 putative in-vivo induced genes encoding for immunogenic proteins of diverse functions; these included transcriptional regulators (Rv1460 and Rv2565), biosynthesis and macromolecule metabolism (leuD, guaB1, plcC, hupB and glyS), polyketide synthases (pks6 and pks9), cell processes (ctpA) and one with unknown function (Rv3701c). Quantitative real time-PCR analysis of these genes in the specimens obtained from TB patients demonstrated induced expression of eight genes as compared with bacteria grown in-vitro. In addition, distribution of these genes in different strains of M. tuberculosis was analyzed using PCR and their nucleotide sequence alignments and they were found to be widely distributed among M. tuberculosis isolates including multiple-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively-drug resistant (XDR). This study identified several antigenic determinants of M. tuberculosis expressed during infection, which might help pathogens adapt to or counter hostile environments and suggesting their role during disease process.