Role of the dosR-dosS two-component regulatory system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence in three animal models

Paul J. Converse, Petros C. Karakousis, Lee G. Klinkenberg, Anup K. Kesavan, Lan H. Ly, Shannon Sedberry Allen, Jacques H. Grosset, Sanjay K. Jain, Gyanu Lamichhane, Yukari C. Manabe, David N. McMurray, Eric L. Nuermberger, William R. Bishai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

102 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis dosR gene (Rv3133c) is part of an operon, Rv3134c-Rv3132C., and encodes a response regulator that has been shown to be upregulated by hypoxia and other in vitro stress conditions and may be important for bacterial survival within granulomatous lesions found in tuberculosis. DosR is activated in response to hypoxia and nitric oxide by DosS (Rv3132c) or DosT (Rv2027c). We compared the virulence levels of an M. tuberculosis dosR-dosS deletion mutant (ΔdosR-dosS [ΔdosR-S]), a dosR-complemented strain, and wild-type H37Rv in rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice infected by the aerosol route and in a mouse hollow-fiber model that may mimic in vivo granulomatous conditions. In the mouse and the guinea pig models, the ΔdosR-S mutant exhibited a growth defect. In the rabbit, the ΔdosR-S mutant did not replicate more than the wild type. In the hollow-fiber model, the mutant phenotype was not different from that of the wild-type strain. Our analyses reveal that the dosR and dosS genes are required for full virulence and that there may be differences in the patterns of attenuation of this mutant between the animal models studied.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1230-1237
Number of pages8
JournalInfection and immunity
Volume77
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Role of the dosR-dosS two-component regulatory system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence in three animal models'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this