Rpf proteins are the factors of reactivation of the dormant forms of actinobacteria

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• 作者：V. D. Nikitushkin ; G. R. Demina ; A. S. Kaprelyants
• 关键词：Resuscitation promoting factor (Rpf) ; actinobacteria ; dormancy ; tuberculosis ; lytic enzymes ; bacterial cell wall ; muropeptides ; MALDI ; vaccines ; diagnostics
• 刊名：Biochemistry (Moscow)
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：December 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：81
• 期：13
• 页码：1719-1734
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Biomedical and Life Sciences
• 刊物主题：Biochemistry, general; Bioorganic Chemistry; Microbiology; Biomedicine, general;
• 出版者：Pleiades Publishing
• ISSN：1608-3040
• 卷排序：81

文摘

As the response to unfavorable growth conditions, nonsporulating mycobacteria transform into the dormant state with the concomitant formation of the specialized dormant forms characterized by low metabolic activity and resistance to antibiotics. Such dormant cells can be reactivated under the influence of several factors including proteins of Rpf (Resuscitation promoting factor) family, which possess peptidoglycan hydrolase activity and were considered to belong to the group of the autocrine growth factors of the bacteria. Remarkable interest toward Rpf family is determined by its par-ticipation in resuscitation of the dormant forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, what in turn is the key element in resuscitation of the latent tuberculosis – an infectious disease that affects one third of the World’s population. Experiments with Rpf mutant forms and with strains deleted in these proteins revealed a relationship between the enzymatic activity of this protein and its ability to resuscitate mycobacteria both in vitro and in vivo. This review discusses possible mechanisms of Rpf action including those related to possible participation of the products of mycobacterial Rpf-mediated cell wall hydrolysis (muropeptides) as signaling molecules. The unique ability of Rpf proteins to resuscitate the dormant forms of mycobacteria and to stimulate their proliferation would allow these proteins to occupy their niche in medicine–in diagnostics and in creation of antituberculosis subunit vaccines.