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Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Preparation of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Culture Filtrate to Understand TB Pathogenesis
Published on: March 28, 2025
Aspartate aminotransferase Rv3722c governs aspartate-dependent nitrogen metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Robert S Jansen1, Lungelo Mandyoli2, Ryan Hughes2
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
Abstract:
Gene rv3722c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for in vitro growth, and encodes a putative pyridoxal phosphate-binding protein of unknown function. Here we use metabolomic, genetic and structural approaches to show that Rv3722c is the primary aspartate aminotransferase of M. tuberculosis, and mediates an essential but underrecognized role in metabolism: nitrogen distribution. Rv3722c deficiency leads to virulence attenuation in macrophages and mice. Our results identify aspartate biosynthesis and nitrogen distribution as potential species-selective drug targets in M. tuberculosis.
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