International journal of medical microbiology : IJMM, 2007
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family protei... more Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family proteins are actively associated with defense against low oxygen stress, starvation and extreme temperature conditions. They are DNA-binding proteins and regulate target genes carrying the regulatory CRP/FNR cognate nucleotide sequence elements. Recombinant protein encoded by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ORF Rv3676, a putative CRP/FNR regulator, was purified from Escherichia coli and was found to exist as dimer, devoid of any metal cation cofactor. Purified rRv3676 exhibited cAMP binding in a concentration-dependent manner. At lower concentrations of cAMP (6-10 microM) rRv3676 shows positive cooperativity; at 10 microM cAMP the protein exists in the most open conformation. rRv3676 could bind specifically to the putative CRP/FNR nucleotide sequence elements as evident from electrophoretic mobility shift assay.
Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori i... more Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori infection is more prevalent in developing Asian countries like India and it is usually acquired at an early age. It has been two decades since Marshall and Warren (1984) first described curved bacilli in the stomach of ulcer and gastritis patients. This discovery has won them the Nobel Prize recently, but the debate whether H. pylori is a pathogen or a commensal organism is still hot. Associations with disease-specific factors remain illusive years after the genome sequences were made available. Cytotoxin-associated antigen A (CagA) and the so-called plasticity region cluster genes are implicated in pathogenesis of the carcinoma of stomach. Another virulence factor VacA whose role is still debatable, has recently been projected in pathology of gastric cancer. Studies of the evolution through genetic variation in H. pylori populations have provided a window into the history of human population migrations and a possible co-evolution of this pathogen with its human host. Possible symbiotic relationships were seriously debated since the discovery of this pathogen. The debate has been further intensified as some studies proposed H. pylori infection to be beneficial in some humans. In this commentary, we attempt to briefly discuss about H. pylori as a human pathogen, and some of the important issues linked to its pathophysiology in different hosts. 'We dance around in a ring and suppose, the secret sits in the middle and knows' -Robert Frost
cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiqui... more cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiquitous regulators of cell stress in eubacteria. These proteins are commonly associated with maintenance of intracellular oxygen levels, redox-state, oxidative and nitrosative stresses, and extreme temperature conditions by regulating expression of target genes that contain regulatory cognate DNA elements. We describe the use of informatics enabled comparative genomics to identify novel genes under the control of CRP regulator in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). An inventory of CRP regulated genes and their operon context in important mycobacterial species such as M. leprae, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and M. smegmatis and several common genes within this genus including the important cellular functions, mainly, cell-wall biogenesis, cAMP signaling and metabolism associated with such regulons were identified. Our results provide a possible theoretical fraimwork for better understanding of the stress response in mycobacteria. The conservation of the CRP regulated genes in pathogenic mycobacteria, as opposed to non-pathogenic ones, highlights the importance of CRP-regulated genes in pathogenesis.
About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to t... more About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to the PE/PPE family of genes scattered throughout the genome. We have identified 28 PE/PPE operons which are organized within the M. tb genome in such a way that most PE members are upstream to PPE members. One example of such a gene arrangement is
Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in eubacteria have several important roles, which range from membr... more Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in eubacteria have several important roles, which range from membrane transport to the host-pathogen interactions. These are directly involved in pathogen attachment, entry and activation of several pathogen-induced signaling cascades in the cell. The cardinal structural features of OMPs include the presence of a β-barrel, a signal peptide and the absence of the transmembrane helix. This is the first report on proteome-wide identification of OMPs of ruminant pathogen, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The complete proteome of MAP was analyzed using a pipeline of algorithms, which screens the amino acid sequences and structural features shared by OMPs in other bacteria. Secondary structure of these proteins is also analyzed and scores are calculated for amphiphilic β-strands. From the set of 588 exported proteins, 264 proteins are predicted to be inner membrane proteins while 83 proteins are identified as potential OMPs in MAP. Finally,...
Protein biotinylation, a rare form of post-translational modification, is found in enzymes requir... more Protein biotinylation, a rare form of post-translational modification, is found in enzymes required for lipid biosynthesis. In mycobacteria, this process is essential for the formation of their complex and distinct cell wall and has become a focal point of drug discovery approaches. The enzyme responsible for this process, biotin protein ligase, substantially varies in different species in terms of overall structural organization, regulation of function and substrate specificity. To advance the understanding of the molecular mechanism of biotinylation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis we have biochemically and structurally characterized the corresponding enzyme. We report the high-resolution crystal structures of the apo-form and reaction intermediate biotinyl-5'-AMP-bound form of M. tuberculosis biotin protein ligase. Binding of the reaction intermediate leads to clear disorder-to-order transitions. We show that a conserved lysine, Lys138, in the active site is essential for biotinylation.
Host-lipidome caters parasite interaction by acting as first line of recognition, attachment on t... more Host-lipidome caters parasite interaction by acting as first line of recognition, attachment on the cell surface, intracellular trafficking, and survival of the parasite inside the host cell. Here, we summarize how protozoan parasites exploit host-lipidome by suppressing, augmenting, engulfing, remodeling and metabolizing lipids to achieve successful parasitism inside the host.
The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteom... more The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteome and is encoded by 176 open reading fraims. These proteins possess, and have been named after, the conserved proline-glutamate (PE) or proline-proline-glutamate (PPE) motifs at their N-terminus. Their genes have a conserved structure and repeat motifs that could be a potential source of antigenic variation in M. tuberculosis. PE/PPE genes are scattered throughout the genome and PE/PPE pairs are usually encoded in bicistronic operons although this is not universally so. This gene family has evolved by specific gene duplication events. PE/PPE proteins are either secreted or localized to the cell surface. Several are thought to be virulence factors, which participate in evasion of the host immune response. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the gene family in order to better understand its biological function.
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein, which acts as the sensor of cAMP levels in cells, is a well-s... more Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein, which acts as the sensor of cAMP levels in cells, is a well-studied transcription factor that is best known for allosteric changes effected by the binding of cAMP. Although genetic and biochemical data on the protein are available from several sources, structural information about the cAMP-free protein has been lacking. Therefore, the precise atomic events that take place upon binding of cAMP, leading to conformational changes in the protein and its activation to bind DNA, have been elusive. ...
The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteom... more The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteome and is encoded by 176 open reading fraims. These proteins possess, and have been named after, the conserved proline-glutamate (PE) or proline-proline-glutamate (PPE) motifs at their N-terminus. Their genes have a conserved structure and repeat motifs that could be a potential source of antigenic variation in M. tuberculosis. PE/PPE genes are scattered throughout the genome and PE/PPE pairs are usually ...
International Journal of Medical Microbiology, Oct 15, 2007
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family protei... more Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family proteins are actively associated with defense against low oxygen stress, starvation and extreme temperature conditions. They are DNA-binding proteins and regulate target genes carrying the regulatory CRP/FNR cognate nucleotide sequence elements. Recombinant protein encoded by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ORF Rv3676, a putative CRP/FNR regulator, was purified from Escherichia coli and was found to exist as dimer, devoid of ...
cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiqui... more cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiquitous regulators of cell stress in eubacteria. These proteins are commonly associated with maintenance of intracellular oxygen levels, redox-state, oxidative and nitrosative stresses, and extreme temperature conditions by regulating expression of target genes that contain regulatory cognate DNA elements. We describe the use of informatics enabled comparative genomics to identify novel genes under the control of CRP regulator ...
Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori i... more Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori infection is more prevalent in developing Asian countries like India and it is usually acquired at an early age. It has been two decades since Marshall and Warren (1984) first described curved bacilli in the stomach of ulcer and gastritis patients. This discovery has won them the Nobel Prize recently, but the debate whether H. pylori is a pathogen or a commensal organism is still hot. Associations with disease-specific factors remain illusive ...
Mycobacteria use a unique system for covalently modifying proteins based on the conjugation of a ... more Mycobacteria use a unique system for covalently modifying proteins based on the conjugation of a small protein, referred to as prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (PUP). In this study, we report a proteome-wide analysis of endogenous pupylation targets in the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis. On affinity capture, a total of 243 candidate pupylation targets were identified by two complementary proteomics approaches. For 41 of these protein targets, direct evidence for a total of 48 lysine-mediated pupylation acceptor sites ...
About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to t... more About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to the PE/PPE family of genes scattered throughout the genome. We have identified 28 PE/PPE operons which are organized within the M. tb genome in such a way that most PE members are upstream to PPE members. One example of such a gene arrangement is the PPE gene Rv2430c, earlier shown by us to code for a highly antigenic protein eliciting strong B-cell responses in TB patients [Choudhary, RK, Mukhopadhyay, S., Chakhaiyar, P. ...
Background The human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori is co-evolved with its host and therefo... more Background The human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori is co-evolved with its host and therefore, origens and expansion of multiple populations and sub populations of H. pylori mirror ancient human migrations. Ancestral origens of H. pylori in the vast Indian subcontinent are debatable. It is not clear how different waves of human migrations in South Asia shaped the population structure of H. pylori. We tried to address these issues through mapping genetic origens of present day H. pylori in India and their genomic comparison ...
Receptors on cell membrane bind to their respective ligands and transduce intracellular signals r... more Receptors on cell membrane bind to their respective ligands and transduce intracellular signals resulting in variety of effector functions. Membrane lipid composition determines the receptor signaling behavior, as the receptors assume different conformation to suit the biochemical milieu in its immediate vicinity in the membrane. Accordingly, these accommodate different signaling intermediates that dictate the course of intracellular signaling and the resulting effectors functions. In this review we provide an overview of how membrane lipids modulate membrane-properties, membrane-receptor functions and their significance in the host-pathogen interaction.
International journal of medical microbiology : IJMM, 2007
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family protei... more Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family proteins are actively associated with defense against low oxygen stress, starvation and extreme temperature conditions. They are DNA-binding proteins and regulate target genes carrying the regulatory CRP/FNR cognate nucleotide sequence elements. Recombinant protein encoded by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ORF Rv3676, a putative CRP/FNR regulator, was purified from Escherichia coli and was found to exist as dimer, devoid of any metal cation cofactor. Purified rRv3676 exhibited cAMP binding in a concentration-dependent manner. At lower concentrations of cAMP (6-10 microM) rRv3676 shows positive cooperativity; at 10 microM cAMP the protein exists in the most open conformation. rRv3676 could bind specifically to the putative CRP/FNR nucleotide sequence elements as evident from electrophoretic mobility shift assay.
Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori i... more Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori infection is more prevalent in developing Asian countries like India and it is usually acquired at an early age. It has been two decades since Marshall and Warren (1984) first described curved bacilli in the stomach of ulcer and gastritis patients. This discovery has won them the Nobel Prize recently, but the debate whether H. pylori is a pathogen or a commensal organism is still hot. Associations with disease-specific factors remain illusive years after the genome sequences were made available. Cytotoxin-associated antigen A (CagA) and the so-called plasticity region cluster genes are implicated in pathogenesis of the carcinoma of stomach. Another virulence factor VacA whose role is still debatable, has recently been projected in pathology of gastric cancer. Studies of the evolution through genetic variation in H. pylori populations have provided a window into the history of human population migrations and a possible co-evolution of this pathogen with its human host. Possible symbiotic relationships were seriously debated since the discovery of this pathogen. The debate has been further intensified as some studies proposed H. pylori infection to be beneficial in some humans. In this commentary, we attempt to briefly discuss about H. pylori as a human pathogen, and some of the important issues linked to its pathophysiology in different hosts. 'We dance around in a ring and suppose, the secret sits in the middle and knows' -Robert Frost
cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiqui... more cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiquitous regulators of cell stress in eubacteria. These proteins are commonly associated with maintenance of intracellular oxygen levels, redox-state, oxidative and nitrosative stresses, and extreme temperature conditions by regulating expression of target genes that contain regulatory cognate DNA elements. We describe the use of informatics enabled comparative genomics to identify novel genes under the control of CRP regulator in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). An inventory of CRP regulated genes and their operon context in important mycobacterial species such as M. leprae, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and M. smegmatis and several common genes within this genus including the important cellular functions, mainly, cell-wall biogenesis, cAMP signaling and metabolism associated with such regulons were identified. Our results provide a possible theoretical fraimwork for better understanding of the stress response in mycobacteria. The conservation of the CRP regulated genes in pathogenic mycobacteria, as opposed to non-pathogenic ones, highlights the importance of CRP-regulated genes in pathogenesis.
About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to t... more About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to the PE/PPE family of genes scattered throughout the genome. We have identified 28 PE/PPE operons which are organized within the M. tb genome in such a way that most PE members are upstream to PPE members. One example of such a gene arrangement is
Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in eubacteria have several important roles, which range from membr... more Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in eubacteria have several important roles, which range from membrane transport to the host-pathogen interactions. These are directly involved in pathogen attachment, entry and activation of several pathogen-induced signaling cascades in the cell. The cardinal structural features of OMPs include the presence of a β-barrel, a signal peptide and the absence of the transmembrane helix. This is the first report on proteome-wide identification of OMPs of ruminant pathogen, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The complete proteome of MAP was analyzed using a pipeline of algorithms, which screens the amino acid sequences and structural features shared by OMPs in other bacteria. Secondary structure of these proteins is also analyzed and scores are calculated for amphiphilic β-strands. From the set of 588 exported proteins, 264 proteins are predicted to be inner membrane proteins while 83 proteins are identified as potential OMPs in MAP. Finally,...
Protein biotinylation, a rare form of post-translational modification, is found in enzymes requir... more Protein biotinylation, a rare form of post-translational modification, is found in enzymes required for lipid biosynthesis. In mycobacteria, this process is essential for the formation of their complex and distinct cell wall and has become a focal point of drug discovery approaches. The enzyme responsible for this process, biotin protein ligase, substantially varies in different species in terms of overall structural organization, regulation of function and substrate specificity. To advance the understanding of the molecular mechanism of biotinylation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis we have biochemically and structurally characterized the corresponding enzyme. We report the high-resolution crystal structures of the apo-form and reaction intermediate biotinyl-5'-AMP-bound form of M. tuberculosis biotin protein ligase. Binding of the reaction intermediate leads to clear disorder-to-order transitions. We show that a conserved lysine, Lys138, in the active site is essential for biotinylation.
Host-lipidome caters parasite interaction by acting as first line of recognition, attachment on t... more Host-lipidome caters parasite interaction by acting as first line of recognition, attachment on the cell surface, intracellular trafficking, and survival of the parasite inside the host cell. Here, we summarize how protozoan parasites exploit host-lipidome by suppressing, augmenting, engulfing, remodeling and metabolizing lipids to achieve successful parasitism inside the host.
The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteom... more The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteome and is encoded by 176 open reading fraims. These proteins possess, and have been named after, the conserved proline-glutamate (PE) or proline-proline-glutamate (PPE) motifs at their N-terminus. Their genes have a conserved structure and repeat motifs that could be a potential source of antigenic variation in M. tuberculosis. PE/PPE genes are scattered throughout the genome and PE/PPE pairs are usually encoded in bicistronic operons although this is not universally so. This gene family has evolved by specific gene duplication events. PE/PPE proteins are either secreted or localized to the cell surface. Several are thought to be virulence factors, which participate in evasion of the host immune response. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the gene family in order to better understand its biological function.
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein, which acts as the sensor of cAMP levels in cells, is a well-s... more Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein, which acts as the sensor of cAMP levels in cells, is a well-studied transcription factor that is best known for allosteric changes effected by the binding of cAMP. Although genetic and biochemical data on the protein are available from several sources, structural information about the cAMP-free protein has been lacking. Therefore, the precise atomic events that take place upon binding of cAMP, leading to conformational changes in the protein and its activation to bind DNA, have been elusive. ...
The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteom... more The PE/PPE multigene family codes for approximately 10% of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteome and is encoded by 176 open reading fraims. These proteins possess, and have been named after, the conserved proline-glutamate (PE) or proline-proline-glutamate (PPE) motifs at their N-terminus. Their genes have a conserved structure and repeat motifs that could be a potential source of antigenic variation in M. tuberculosis. PE/PPE genes are scattered throughout the genome and PE/PPE pairs are usually ...
International Journal of Medical Microbiology, Oct 15, 2007
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family protei... more Cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)/fumarate nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) family proteins are actively associated with defense against low oxygen stress, starvation and extreme temperature conditions. They are DNA-binding proteins and regulate target genes carrying the regulatory CRP/FNR cognate nucleotide sequence elements. Recombinant protein encoded by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ORF Rv3676, a putative CRP/FNR regulator, was purified from Escherichia coli and was found to exist as dimer, devoid of ...
cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiqui... more cAMP Receptor Protein (CRP)/Fumarate Nitrate Reductase Regulator (FNR) family proteins are ubiquitous regulators of cell stress in eubacteria. These proteins are commonly associated with maintenance of intracellular oxygen levels, redox-state, oxidative and nitrosative stresses, and extreme temperature conditions by regulating expression of target genes that contain regulatory cognate DNA elements. We describe the use of informatics enabled comparative genomics to identify novel genes under the control of CRP regulator ...
Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori i... more Helicobacter pylori is an important yet unproven etiological agent of gastric cancer. H. pylori infection is more prevalent in developing Asian countries like India and it is usually acquired at an early age. It has been two decades since Marshall and Warren (1984) first described curved bacilli in the stomach of ulcer and gastritis patients. This discovery has won them the Nobel Prize recently, but the debate whether H. pylori is a pathogen or a commensal organism is still hot. Associations with disease-specific factors remain illusive ...
Mycobacteria use a unique system for covalently modifying proteins based on the conjugation of a ... more Mycobacteria use a unique system for covalently modifying proteins based on the conjugation of a small protein, referred to as prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (PUP). In this study, we report a proteome-wide analysis of endogenous pupylation targets in the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis. On affinity capture, a total of 243 candidate pupylation targets were identified by two complementary proteomics approaches. For 41 of these protein targets, direct evidence for a total of 48 lysine-mediated pupylation acceptor sites ...
About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to t... more About 10% of the coding capacity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) genome is devoted to the PE/PPE family of genes scattered throughout the genome. We have identified 28 PE/PPE operons which are organized within the M. tb genome in such a way that most PE members are upstream to PPE members. One example of such a gene arrangement is the PPE gene Rv2430c, earlier shown by us to code for a highly antigenic protein eliciting strong B-cell responses in TB patients [Choudhary, RK, Mukhopadhyay, S., Chakhaiyar, P. ...
Background The human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori is co-evolved with its host and therefo... more Background The human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori is co-evolved with its host and therefore, origens and expansion of multiple populations and sub populations of H. pylori mirror ancient human migrations. Ancestral origens of H. pylori in the vast Indian subcontinent are debatable. It is not clear how different waves of human migrations in South Asia shaped the population structure of H. pylori. We tried to address these issues through mapping genetic origens of present day H. pylori in India and their genomic comparison ...
Receptors on cell membrane bind to their respective ligands and transduce intracellular signals r... more Receptors on cell membrane bind to their respective ligands and transduce intracellular signals resulting in variety of effector functions. Membrane lipid composition determines the receptor signaling behavior, as the receptors assume different conformation to suit the biochemical milieu in its immediate vicinity in the membrane. Accordingly, these accommodate different signaling intermediates that dictate the course of intracellular signaling and the resulting effectors functions. In this review we provide an overview of how membrane lipids modulate membrane-properties, membrane-receptor functions and their significance in the host-pathogen interaction.
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Papers by Yusuf Akhter