mbtJ: an iron stress-induced acetyl hydrolase/esterase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis helps bacteria to survive during iron stress

Future microbiology

Authors: Chownk, Manisha; Kaur, Jashandeep; Singh, Kashmir; Kaur, Jagdeep;
PMID: 29519132

Abstract

AIM:mbtJ from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv is a member of mbt A-J operon required for mycobactin biogenesis.MATERIALS & METHODS:The esterase/acetyl-hydrolase activity of mbtJ was determined by pNP-esters/native-PAGE and expression under iron stress by quantitative-PCR. Effect of gene on growth/survival of Mycobacterium was studied using antisense. Its effect on morphology, growth/infection was studied in Mycobacterium smegmatis.RESULTS:It showed acetyl hydrolase/esterase activity at pH 8.0 and 50°C with pNP-butyrate. Its expression was upregulated under iron stress. The antisense inhibited the survival of bacterium during iron stress. Expression of mbtJ changed colony morphology and enhanced the growth/infection in M. smegmatis.CONCLUSION:mbtJ, an acetyl-hydrolase/esterase, enhanced the survival of M. tuberculosis under iron stress, affected the growth/infection efficiency in M. smegmatis, suggesting its pivotal role in the intracellular survival of bacterium.