Mycobacterium tuberculosis cAMP and underlying regulatory network are crucial for its survival and thrive in the presence of numerous stresses mounted by the host. Our studies mainly focus on the cAMP-induced M. tuberculosis gene Rv1265, which was shown to be up-regulated under hypoxia and during macrophage infection by addition of exogenous cAMP. To explore the role of Rv1265 in host-pathogen interactions, Rv1265 was expressed in a non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis. We found that Rv1265 was associated with cell envelope and can up-regulate some cell wall fatty acid components, especially the C26:0. The survival of the recombinant Ms_Rv1265 was enhanced within macrophages and under stress conditions such as low pH and SDS. Macrophages infected with Ms_Rv1265 increased transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12 P40 and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 possibly through activation of NF-κB and ERK1/2 pathway. Our findings indicate that Rv1265 can enhance mycobacterial survival within macrophages, and perturb the cytokine profile of macrophage.
Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Rv1265; cytokines; fatty acids; macrophage.