Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth following aerobic expression of the DosR regulon

PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e35935. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035935. Epub 2012 Apr 27.

Abstract

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis regulator DosR is induced by multiple stimuli including hypoxia, nitric oxide and redox stress. Overlap of these stimuli with conditions thought to promote latency in infected patients fuels a model in which DosR regulon expression is correlated with bacteriostasis in vitro and a proxy for latency in vivo. Here, we find that inducing the DosR regulon to wildtype levels in aerobic, replicating M. tuberculosis does not alter bacterial growth kinetics. We conclude that DosR regulon expression alone is insufficient for bacterial latency, but rather is expressed during a range of growth states in a dynamic environment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aerobiosis
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Kinetics
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / growth & development*
  • Protein Kinases / genetics*
  • Regulon / genetics*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DosR protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Protein Kinases