Carboxyltransferase Subunit of the Acyl-CoA Carboxylase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.. Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis acyl-CoA carboxylases provide the building blocks for de novo fatty acid biosynthesis by fatty acid synthase (FAS) I and for the elongation of FAS I end-products by the FAS II complex to produce meromycolic acids. M. tuberculosis genome contains three biotin carboxylase subunits (AccA1-3) and 6 carboxyltransferase subunits (AccD1-6) of which AccD6 is located in a genetic locus that contains members of the FAS II complex. We found by microarray and quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis that the transcripts of AccA3, AccD4, AccD5 and AccD6 are expressed at high levels during exponential growth phases of M. tuberculosis in vitro. Keywords: Time course, developmental stages Overall design: The microarray hybridization was performed to compare general gene expression changes along with Acyl-CoA carboxylase subunits between an exponential growth phase and late-log phase. Wild-type Mtb cells were inoculated in the complete liquid medium, and grown until OD~0.5, which is chosen as a reference exponential growth stage. Samples were prepared after further growth until the OD values doubles in the same medium as was in the reference culture.