DS Kothari Central Interdisciplinary Research Centre and Department of Zoology, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
Acta Trop. 2021 Oct;222:106035. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106035. Epub 2021 Jul 3.
The PE/PPE proteins encoded by seven percent (7%) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) genome are the chief constituents to pathogen's virulence reservoir. The fact that these genes have evolved along ESX secretory system in pathogenic Mtb strains make their investigation very intriguing. There is lot of speculation about the prominent role of these proteins at host pathogen interface and in disease pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the exact function of PE/PPE proteins still remains a mystery which calls for further research targeting these proteins. This article is an effort to document all the facts known so far with regard to these unique proteins which involves their origin, evolution, transcriptional control, and most important their role as host immune-modulators. Our understanding strongly points towards the versatile nature of these PE/PPE proteins as Mtb's host immune sensors and as decisive factors in shaping the outcome of infection. Further investigation on these proteins will surely pave way for newer and effective vaccines and therapeutics to control Tuberculosis (TB).
编码于 7%结核分枝杆菌（Mtb）基因组中的 PE/PPE 蛋白是病原体毒力库的主要成分。这些基因沿着致病性 Mtb 菌株中的 ESX 分泌系统进化这一事实，使得对它们的研究非常有趣。人们推测这些蛋白在宿主病原体界面和疾病发病机制中发挥着重要作用。然而，PE/PPE 蛋白的确切功能仍然是个谜，这需要针对这些蛋白进行进一步的研究。本文旨在记录迄今为止关于这些独特蛋白的所有已知事实，包括它们的起源、进化、转录控制，以及最重要的是它们作为宿主免疫调节剂的作用。我们的理解强烈指出，这些 PE/PPE 蛋白具有多功能性，是 Mtb 的宿主免疫传感器，也是决定感染结果的关键因素。对这些蛋白的进一步研究肯定会为控制结核病（TB）的新型有效疫苗和疗法铺平道路。
