Analysis of global transcriptional response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv to the natural compound ethyl p-methoxycinnamate

Gene expression profiling analysis was performed after exposing M. tuberculosis H37Rv to EPMC for 24 and 48 hours. Significant changes in expression levels were observed in the genome in response to the drug. Analysis of the data carried out by studying the expression pattern at the level of pathways, indicated that several pathways including amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, fructose and mannose metabolism, galactose metabolism, lysine degradation pathways were significantly upregulated upon exposure to EPMC, while the pathways involved primarily in the mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis - the mycolic acid biosynthesis and D-alanine metabolism were significantly downregulated M. tuberculosis H37Rv cells were grown to log-phase and then treated with the compound ethyl p-methoxycinnamate. The drug isoniazid was taken as apositive control. The cells were exposed to the compounds for 24 and 48 hours. Cells to which no compound was added acted as untreated control. After the time points, the cells were harvested and RNA was isolated. The RNA was subjetced to microarray. The data was analysed at pathway level and gene ontology level.