Identification of regulatory sequence within the promoter of M.leprae-specific 18-kDa gene and its binding factor(s).
- Author:
Min Joo KIM
1
;
Yong Kyu KIM
;
Gue Tae CHAE
Author Information
1. Institute of Hansen's Disease, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- MeSH:
DNA;
Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay;
Epitopes;
Gene Expression Regulation;
Leprosy;
Macrophages;
Mycobacterium leprae;
Salmon;
Spermatozoa;
T-Lymphocytes
- From:Korean Leprosy Bulletin
2000;33(1):107-113
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
A central question to the pathogenesis of leprosy is how Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, survives and replicates within macrophages. 18-kDa protein of M. leprae, a major antigen, is found in solely M.leprae and contains T-cell antigenic epitopes and has been implicated in survival of M. leprae within macrophages and ultimately in pathogenesis. The latter is supported further by a recent finding that 18-kDa gene is activated during intracellular growth. To further understand M. leprae-specific 18-kDa gene expression regulation mechanism during intracellular growth, the present studies have been undertaken. To examine the presence of a regulatory sequence(s) in the promoter of 18-kDa gene and its binding factor(s) in M. leprae cell lysate, a gel mobility shift assay was performed. A 350-bp sequence containing the promoter of 18-kDa gene resulted in a protein-DNA complex formation with increasing amounts of M. leprae crude lysate. However, the protein-DNA complex formation was not detected in the presence of a nonspecific carrier, salmon sperm DNA.
