The leader sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu,ZnSOD) contains a prokaryotic membrane lipoprotein attachment site. In the present study, we have found that the protein, which exhibits detectable SOD activity, is lipid-modified and associated with the bacterial membrane when expressed either in M. tuberculosis or in Escherichia coli. These results provide the first demonstration of lipid modification of a Cu,ZnSOD. An analysis of the sodC genes present in available databases indicates that the same signal for lipid modification is also present in the sodC gene products from other mycobacteria and Gram-positive bacteria and, uniquely, in two distinct sodC gene products from the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella typhimurium. Evidence is also provided for an up-regulation of M. tuberculosis sodC in response to phagocytosis by human macrophages, suggesting that Cu,ZnSOD is involved in the mechanisms that facilitate mycobacterial intracellular growth.
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October 2001
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Research Article|
September 24 2001
Lipid modification of the Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Melania D'ORAZIO;
Melania D'ORAZIO
∗Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Silvia FOLCARELLI;
Silvia FOLCARELLI
∗Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Francesca MARIANI;
Francesca MARIANI
†Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine/CNR/Rome, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Vittorio COLIZZI;
Vittorio COLIZZI
∗Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Giuseppe ROTILIO;
Giuseppe ROTILIO
∗Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Andrea BATTISTONI
Andrea BATTISTONI
1
∗Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (e-mail andrea.battistoni@uniroma2.it).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
May 04 2001
Revision Received:
June 19 2001
Accepted:
August 14 2001
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
The Biochemical Society, London ©2001
2001
Biochem J (2001) 359 (1): 17–22.
Article history
Received:
May 04 2001
Revision Received:
June 19 2001
Accepted:
August 14 2001
Citation
Melania D'ORAZIO, Silvia FOLCARELLI, Francesca MARIANI, Vittorio COLIZZI, Giuseppe ROTILIO, Andrea BATTISTONI; Lipid modification of the Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Biochem J 1 October 2001; 359 (1): 17–22. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bj3590017
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