Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Fluorescence Assays for the Study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Interaction with the Immune Receptor SLAMF1
07:42

Fluorescence Assays for the Study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Interaction with the Immune Receptor SLAMF1

Published on: February 28, 2025

The PE and PPE proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Sangita Mukhopadhyay1, Kithiganahalli Narayanaswamy Balaji

  • 1Molecular Cell Biology, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Gruhakalpa Building, Nampally, Hyderabad, India. sangita@cdfd.org.in

Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
|April 30, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health challenge, especially in India. Researchers are exploring PE/PPE proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which may be key to understanding and combating TB infection.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant global health burden, with limited success from conventional control measures.
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an intracellular pathogen, resides within macrophages, crucial components of the immune system.
  • Novel strategies, including new drugs and vaccines, are essential for TB control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of PE and PPE protein families of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in infection.
  • To understand the immunological importance and virulence factors associated with PE/PPE proteins.
  • To explore the relevance of these proteins in the clinical manifestation of TB.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on PE and PPE protein families in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  • Analysis of the function of PE/PPE proteins in regulating macrophage and dendritic cell immune responses.
  • Correlation of PE/PPE protein expression and function with TB clinical manifestations.

Main Results:

  • PE and PPE protein families constitute approximately 10% of the mycobacterial genome.
  • These proteins are crucial in modulating host immune responses, particularly within macrophages.
  • Their involvement in virulence and clinical presentation of TB is increasingly recognized.

Conclusions:

  • PE/PPE proteins are critical virulence factors for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  • Understanding their role in host-pathogen interactions is vital for developing new TB diagnostics and therapeutics.
  • Targeting PE/PPE proteins could offer novel strategies for TB vaccine and drug development.

More Related Videos

Separation and Fractionation of Cell Wall and Cell Membrane Proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis for Downstream Protein Analysis06:14

Separation and Fractionation of Cell Wall and Cell Membrane Proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis for Downstream Protein Analysis

Published on: September 26, 2025

Enrichment of Native and Recombinant Extracellular Vesicles of Mycobacteria06:38

Enrichment of Native and Recombinant Extracellular Vesicles of Mycobacteria

Published on: December 8, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Tuberculosis01:23

Tuberculosis

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...
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria01:30

Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria

Coryneform bacteria are gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile rods that exhibit irregular, club-shaped, or V-shaped arrangements. Their V-shape results from snapping division, where the inner cell wall layer forms the cross-wall, while the outer layer remains intact until it ruptures on one side, causing the daughter cells to bend away.The primary genera are Corynebacterium and Arthrobacter. Corynebacterium includes diverse species, ranging from saprophytes to pathogens like Corynebacterium...
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria01:29

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis II01:28

Pulmonary Tuberculosis II

Tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While its primary impact is on the lungs, leading to pulmonary tuberculosis, it can also affect various other organs, a condition referred to as extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
Here is a detailed explanation of its pathophysiology:
Transmission: The process begins when a person inhales droplet nuclei containing M. tuberculosis. These are typically released into the air when an individual with pulmonary or...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I01:29

Pulmonary Tuberculosis I

Tuberculosis, often called TB, is a contagious illness primarily caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mainly affects the lung parenchyma but can also impact other body parts.
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...
Structure of Porins01:21

Structure of Porins

Mitochondria, chloroplasts, and gram-negative bacteria have transmembrane, beta-barrel proteins called porins to mediate the free diffusion of ions and metabolites across the membrane. Mitochondrial porin precursors contain conserved amino acid sequences called beta signals at their C-terminal. Beta signals have a  motif of PoXGXXHyXHy (Po-Polar, X-Any amino acid, G-Glycine, Hy-LargeHydrophobic), which are crucial for precursor recognition to initiate precursor assembly. Beta-barrel precursors...