Abstract

MENDEZ-LOPEZ, María Victoria. Regulators of Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene expression: implications in virulence and persistence in latent tuberculosis. Vaccimonitor [online]. 2019, vol.28, n.3, pp.110-120.  Epub Dec 01, 2019. ISSN 1025-028X.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a public health problem worldwide. The World Health Organization estimated about 10 million sick people and 1.3 million deaths in 2017. The ability of MTB to modulate the immune response, survive and persist under the hostile environment in the host and in latent TB has been extensively investigated, and requires regulation and control of genetic expression. The objective is to present a review of research related to regulators of MTB gene expression that are associated with virulence, persistence and survival in latent TB. A review of the investigations of the last 20 years was made. Finally, it is concluded that MTB has a genetic machinery that controls the expression of genes that participate in virulence and persistence in response to hypoxia, oxidative stress, lack of nutrients and acidic pH. Among them, two-component systems, sigma factors and transcriptional regulators participate. It has been proven that they work interconnected as a network in some cases. The research findings provide insights for the discovery of new targets for the development of anti-tuberculosis drugs, new vaccines and methods for diagnosis of TB, with the purpose of providing new strategies for disease control.

Keywords : Mycobacterium tuberculosis; virulence; regulator genes; pulmonary tuberculosis.

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