Protective Efficacy of BCG Vaccine against and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections.

The genus mycobacterium includes several species that are known to cause infections in humans. The microorganisms are classified into tuberculous and non-tuberculous based on their morphological characteristics, defined by the dynamic relationship between the host defenses and the infectious agent. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include all the species of mycobacterium other than the ones that cause tuberculosis (TB).

Over expression of the constitutive expression refractory Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3488 protein with an acid-inducible expression system.

As inducible protein expression plasmids available for mycobacterial species are limited, here we demonstrate the utility of an acid-inducible promoter driving gene and subsequent protein expression of a difficult to express protein. We wanted to assess the use of an acid inducible promoter expression system to produce proteins in a mycobacterial system, specifically proteins that when overexpressed interfere with mycobacterial cell growth. Overexpression of those types of proteins would require a tightly regulated promoter system.

Induction of the acid inducible lipF promoter is reversibly inhibited in pH ranges of pH 4.2-4.0.

Objective: In the human body pathogenic mycobacteria encounter low pH within the phagosomes of macrophages where they reside after being internalized by the host cell. Low pH within macrophages has been shown to induce expression of a variety of genes within these bacteria. It had been previously observed that the Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipF promoter is transcriptionally upregulated between pHs 4.

Glutathione supplementation improves macrophage functions in HIV.

In this study, we determined the effects of glutathione (GSH)-enhancing agents in restoring the levels of GSH in isolated macrophages from individuals with HIV infection thereby resulting in improved control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Our results indicate that treatment with N-acetyl cysteine or a liposomal formulation of glutathione (lGSH) resulted in replenishment of reduced also known as free GSH (rGSH), and correlated with a decrease in the intracellular growth of M. tuberculosis.