The Structure and Function of M.tuberculosis RD-1 Region Encoded Proteins / 生物化学与生物物理进展

ABSTRACT

The RD-1 locus has been considered crucial in the pathogenesis of M.tuberculosis, the RD-1 locus is 9.5 kb and spanning open reading frames Rv3871 to Rv3879c encoding 9 different proteins separately.The RD-1 locus is missing in all bacillus Calmette-Guerin(BCG) strains, and is one of the key virulence factor in M.tuberculosis.The RD-1 locus participates in a new secreting system named ESX-1, which can facilitate the secretion of some special proteins.The two important proteins encoded by the RD-1 locus named CFP-10 and ESAT-6 can form a tight 1∶1 complex, and has been shown to be coordinately secreted and lead to a strong T cell response, which suggests that these two proteins may act as ideal target antigens in diagnosis and prevention of tuberculosis(TB).