Impact of methoxymycolic acid production by Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccines.

BCG vaccines are a family of closely related daughter strains of an attenuated isolate of Mycobacterium bovis derived by in vitro passage from 1908 to 1921. During subsequent laboratory propagation of the vaccine strain until its lyophilization in 1961, BCG Pasteur underwent at least seven further genomic mutations. The impact of these mutations on the properties of the vaccine is currently unknown.

PimF, a mannosyltransferase of mycobacteria, is involved in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylinositol mannosides and lipoarabinomannan.

Phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIMs) and their related molecules lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are important components of the mycobacterial cell wall. These molecules mediate host-pathogen interactions and exhibit immunomodulatory activities. The biosynthesis of these lipoglycans is not fully understood.

A rifampin-hypersensitive mutant reveals differences between strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis and presence of a novel transposon, IS1623.

Rifampin is a front-line antibiotic for the treatment of tuberculosis. Infections caused by rifampin- and multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains are difficult to treat and contribute to a poor clinical outcome. Rifampin resistance most often results from mutations in rpoB.

Central region of the human splicing factor Hprp3p interacts with Hprp4p.

Human splicing factors Hprp3p and Hprp4p are associated with the U4/U6 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle, which is essential for the assembly of an active spliceosome. Currently, little is known about the specific roles of these factors in splicing. In this study, we characterized the molecular interaction between Hprp3p and Hprp4p.