Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1989 Oct;57(10):3123–3130. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.10.3123-3130.1989

Cloning, sequence determination, and expression of a 32-kilodalton-protein gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

M Borremans 1, L de Wit 1, G Volckaert 1, J Ooms 1, J de Bruyn 1, K Huygen 1, J P van Vooren 1, M Stelandre 1, R Verhofstadt 1, J Content 1
PMCID: PMC260779  PMID: 2506131

Abstract

We describe the identification of the gene encoding an immunodominant 32-kilodalton (kDa) protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The 32-kDa antigen is abundantly secreted into the culture supernatant of a variety of mycobacteria and appears to be a major stimulant of cellular and humoral immunity against mycobacteria. Recombinant clones expressing a 140- or 125-kDa beta-galactosidase fusion protein reactive with rabbit polyclonal anti-32 kDa protein serum were detected. The corresponding DNA sequence contains a 1,008-base-pair coding region. The deduced amino acid sequence corresponds to a 336-residue protein including the previously determined NH2-terminal sequence of the 32-kDa protein (J. De Bruyn, K. Huygen, R. Bosmans, M. Fauville, R. Lippens, J. P. Van Vooren, P. Falmagne, M. Weckx, H. G. Wiker, M. Harboe, and M. Turneer, Microb. Pathog. 2:351-366, 1987). Upstream of this NH2-terminal region, the gene codes for a signal peptide required for the secretion of a 294-amino-acid-long mature protein. A putative promoter sequence could be located upstream of the open reading frame. Comparison of the M. tuberculosis 32-kDa antigen with the Mycobacterium bovis BCG alpha-antigen (K. Matsuo, R. Yamaguchi, A. Yamazaki, H. Tasaka, and T. Yamada, J. Bacteriol. 170:3847-3854, 1988) revealed 73.8% homology between DNA sequences and 72.8% homology between amino acid sequences (signal and mature protein). Finally, the 140-kDa fusion protein could selectively be recognized by human tuberculous sera. This result confirms our previous finding that the 32-kDa antigen could be a valuable tool for the serological diagnosis of tuberculosis. Moreover, the availability of recombinant proteins opens perspectives for the localization of relevant B- and T-cell epitope regions on the 32-kDa antigen.

Full text

PDF
3123

Images in this article

3125Image
on p.3125
3129Image
on p.3129

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abou-Zeid C., Ratliff T. L., Wiker H. G., Harboe M., Bennedsen J., Rook G. A. Characterization of fibronectin-binding antigens released by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Infect Immun. 1988 Dec;56(12):3046–3051. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.12.3046-3051.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bellon B. Apple Macintosh programs for nucleic and protein sequence analyses. Nucleic Acids Res. 1988 Mar 11;16(5):1837–1846. doi: 10.1093/nar/16.5.1837. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bibb M. J., Findlay P. R., Johnson M. W. The relationship between base composition and codon usage in bacterial genes and its use for the simple and reliable identification of protein-coding sequences. Gene. 1984 Oct;30(1-3):157–166. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(84)90116-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bressan G. M., Stanley K. K. pUEX, a bacterial expression vector related to pEX with universal host specificity. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Dec 10;15(23):10056–10056. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.23.10056. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chang S. Engineering for protein secretion in gram-positive bacteria. Methods Enzymol. 1987;153:507–516. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(87)53075-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chen E. Y., Seeburg P. H. Supercoil sequencing: a fast and simple method for sequencing plasmid DNA. DNA. 1985 Apr;4(2):165–170. doi: 10.1089/dna.1985.4.165. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Closs O., Harboe M., Axelsen N. H., Bunch-Christensen K., Magnusson M. The antigens of Mycobacterium bovis, strain BCG, studied by crossed immunoelectrophoresis: a reference system. Scand J Immunol. 1980;12(3):249–263. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1980.tb00065.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. De Bruyn J., Bosmans R., Nyabenda J., Van Vooren J. P. Effect of zinc deficiency on the appearance of two immunodominant protein antigens (32 kDa and 65 kDa) in culture filtrates of mycobacteria. J Gen Microbiol. 1989 Jan;135(1):79–84. doi: 10.1099/00221287-135-1-79. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. De Bruyn J., Huygen K., Bosmans R., Fauville M., Lippens R., Van Vooren J. P., Falmagne P., Weckx M., Wiker H. G., Harboe M. Purification, characterization and identification of a 32 kDa protein antigen of Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Microb Pathog. 1987 May;2(5):351–366. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(87)90077-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Feinberg A. P., Vogelstein B. A technique for radiolabeling DNA restriction endonuclease fragments to high specific activity. Anal Biochem. 1983 Jul 1;132(1):6–13. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(83)90418-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hawley D. K., McClure W. R. Compilation and analysis of Escherichia coli promoter DNA sequences. Nucleic Acids Res. 1983 Apr 25;11(8):2237–2255. doi: 10.1093/nar/11.8.2237. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Huygen K., Palfliet K., Jurion F., Hilgers J., ten Berg R., Van Vooren J. P., De Bruyn J. H-2-linked control of in vitro gamma interferon production in response to a 32-kilodalton antigen (P32) of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Infect Immun. 1988 Dec;56(12):3196–3200. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.12.3196-3200.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Huygen K., Van Vooren J. P., Turneer M., Bosmans R., Dierckx P., De Bruyn J. Specific lymphoproliferation, gamma interferon production, and serum immunoglobulin G directed against a purified 32 kDa mycobacterial protein antigen (P32) in patients with active tuberculosis. Scand J Immunol. 1988 Feb;27(2):187–194. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1988.tb02338.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kyte J., Doolittle R. F. A simple method for displaying the hydropathic character of a protein. J Mol Biol. 1982 May 5;157(1):105–132. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(82)90515-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Matsuo K., Yamaguchi R., Yamazaki A., Tasaka H., Yamada T. Cloning and expression of the Mycobacterium bovis BCG gene for extracellular alpha antigen. J Bacteriol. 1988 Sep;170(9):3847–3854. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.9.3847-3854.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. A new method for sequencing DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Feb;74(2):560–564. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.2.560. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mehra V., Sweetser D., Young R. A. Efficient mapping of protein antigenic determinants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Sep;83(18):7013–7017. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.18.7013. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mustafa A. S., Gill H. K., Nerland A., Britton W. J., Mehra V., Bloom B. R., Young R. A., Godal T. Human T-cell clones recognize a major M. leprae protein antigen expressed in E. coli. Nature. 1986 Jan 2;319(6048):63–66. doi: 10.1038/319063a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Neesen K., Volckaert G. Construction and shuttling of novel bifunctional vectors for Streptomyces spp. and Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1989 Mar;171(3):1569–1573. doi: 10.1128/jb.171.3.1569-1573.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Oliver D. Protein secretion in Escherichia coli. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1985;39:615–648. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.39.100185.003151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pearson W. R., Lipman D. J. Improved tools for biological sequence comparison. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Apr;85(8):2444–2448. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.8.2444. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rumschlag H. S., Shinnick T. M., Cohen M. L. Serological responses of patients with lepromatous and tuberculoid leprosy to 30-, 31-, and 32-kilodalton antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Oct;26(10):2200–2202. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.10.2200-2202.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Shinnick T. M. The 65-kilodalton antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Bacteriol. 1987 Mar;169(3):1080–1088. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.3.1080-1088.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Thole J. E., Keulen W. J., De Bruyn J., Kolk A. H., Groothuis D. G., Berwald L. G., Tiesjema R. H., van Embden J. D. Characterization, sequence determination, and immunogenicity of a 64-kilodalton protein of Mycobacterium bovis BCG expressed in escherichia coli K-12. Infect Immun. 1987 Jun;55(6):1466–1475. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.6.1466-1475.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Thole J. E., van Schooten W. C., Keulen W. J., Hermans P. W., Janson A. A., de Vries R. R., Kolk A. H., van Embden J. D. Use of recombinant antigens expressed in Escherichia coli K-12 to map B-cell and T-cell epitopes on the immunodominant 65-kilodalton protein of Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Infect Immun. 1988 Jun;56(6):1633–1640. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.6.1633-1640.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Towbin H., Staehelin T., Gordon J. Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: procedure and some applications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Sep;76(9):4350–4354. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.9.4350. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Turneer M., Van Vooren J. P., De Bruyn J., Serruys E., Dierckx P., Yernault J. C. Humoral immune response in human tuberculosis: immunoglobulins G, A, and M directed against the purified P32 protein antigen of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Sep;26(9):1714–1719. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.9.1714-1719.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Van Vooren J. P., Farber C. M., Noel E., Mavroudakis N., Turneer M., De Bruyn J., Legros F., Yernault J. C. Local anti-P32 humoral response in tuberculous meningitis. Tubercle. 1989 Jun;70(2):123–126. doi: 10.1016/0041-3879(89)90036-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Volckaert G. A systematic approach to chemical DNA sequencing by subcloning in pGV451 and derived vectors. Methods Enzymol. 1987;155:231–250. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(87)55019-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wiker H. G., Harboe M., Nagai S., Patarroyo M. E., Ramirez C., Cruz N. MPB59, a widely cross-reacting protein of Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1986;81(4):307–314. doi: 10.1159/000234154. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Young R. A., Bloom B. R., Grosskinsky C. M., Ivanyi J., Thomas D., Davis R. W. Dissection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens using recombinant DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 May;82(9):2583–2587. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.9.2583. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES