Transcriptional Adaptation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis within Macrophages

Little is known about the biochemical environment in phagosomes harboring an infectious agent. To assess the state of this organelle we captured the transcriptional responses of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in macrophages from wild-type and nitric oxide (NO) synthase 2-deficient mice before and after immunologic activation. The intraphagosomal transcriptome was compared with the transcriptome of MTB in standard broth culture and during growth in diverse conditions designed to simulate features of the phagosomal environment. Genes expressed differentially as a consequence of intraphagosomal residence included an interferon gamma- and NO-induced response that intensifies an iron-scavenging program, converts…

• HF
  Hearst Foundations
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• DA
  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
• AR
  Advanced Research Projects Agency
• MR
  Medical Research Council