The Regulation of Sulfur Metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PLoS Pathogens

Stavroula K. Hatzios¹  Carolyn R. Bertozzi² 

[1] Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America;Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America

关键词: Sulfates;    Mycobacterium tuberculosis;    Sulfur;    Enzyme regulation;    Biosynthesis;    Enzyme metabolism;    Transcriptional control;    Metabolic pathways;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.ppat.1002036

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has evolved into a highly successful human pathogen. It deftly subverts the bactericidal mechanisms of alveolar macrophages, ultimately inducing granuloma formation and establishing long-term residence in the host. These hallmarks of Mtb infection are facilitated by the metabolic adaptation of the pathogen to its surrounding environment and the biosynthesis of molecules that mediate its interactions with host immune cells. The sulfate assimilation pathway of Mtb produces a number of sulfur-containing metabolites with important contributions to pathogenesis and survival. This pathway is regulated by diverse environmental cues and regulatory proteins that mediate sulfur transactions in the cell. Here, we discuss the transcriptional and biochemical mechanisms of sulfur metabolism regulation in Mtb and potential small molecule regulators of the sulfate assimilation pathway that are collectively poised to aid this intracellular pathogen in its expert manipulation of the host. From this global analysis, we have identified a subset of sulfur-metabolizing enzymes that are sensitive to multiple regulatory cues and may be strong candidates for therapeutic intervention.

【 授权许可】

CC BY