Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv0431 expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis, a potentially mannosylated protein, mediated the immune evasion of RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Tuberculosis remains a global major problem. The immune responses of host against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) are complicated. M. tuberculosis lives mainly within host cells, usually macrophages which constitute the first line of host defense. Mycobacterial proteins, especially cell wall-associated proteins, interact with macrophages of host to regulate the functions and cytokine production. Recent studies indicate that glycoproteins are involved in this process. Here, we investigated the function of Rv0431, a cell wall-associated protein in the M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain. Rv0431 protein was heterologously overexpressed in the fast-growing and nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis). Binding assay to concanavalin A (ConA) lectin was performed and the result indicated that Rv0431 protein was a potentially mannosylated protein. M. smegmatis MSMEG_5447 gene encoding a polyprenol-phosphate-mannose-protein mannosyl-transferase (PMT) which catalyzes the O-mannosylation of protein was knocked out. The Rv0431 protein overexpressed in MSMEG_5447 gene knockout stain, ΔM5447, lost its reactivity to ConA, providing evidence that Rv0431 was likely O-mannosylated. M. smegmatis overexpressed Rv0431 evaded the killing of RAW264.7 macrophages and altered the cytokine production of macrophages compared to M. smegmatis carrying empty vector. These results suggested that Rv0431, a probably mannosylated protein might promote the evasion of immune responses during mycobacterial infection.