Immunostimulatory Activity of Major Membrane Protein II fromMycobacterium tuberculosis

Efficient Activation of Human T Cells of Both CD4 and CD8 Subsets by Urease-Deficient Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG That Produced a Heat Shock Protein 70-M. tuberculosis-Derived Major Membrane Protein II Fusion Protein

“…ϩ T cells and naive CD8 ϩ T cells, but M. tuberculosis-derived MMP-II was superior to M. leprae-derived MMP-II in all of these functions (29). Furthermore, individuals who were vaccinated with BCG possessing MMP-II 100% homologous to that of M. tuberculosis were assumed to be primed with MMP-II in vivo (29).…”

“…Furthermore, individuals who were vaccinated with BCG possessing MMP-II 100% homologous to that of M. tuberculosis were assumed to be primed with MMP-II in vivo (29). Thus, MMP-II of M. tuberculosis was considered to have T cell-stimulating activity, and these activated T cells, which subsequently differentiated into the memory state, may be able to respond to M. tuberculosis-infected APCs immediately.…”

“…Similar to M. leprae-derived MMP-II, M. tuberculosis-derived MMP-II ligates TLR2 and activates DCs, and the MMP-II-pulsed DCs activate both subsets of naive T cells (29). Furthermore, both human DCs and macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis strains such as H37Rv and H37Ra expressed MMP-II derivatives on their surfaces (29). These results indicate that the MMP-II of M. tuberculosis is highly immunogenic and might be a good candidate for vaccine development.…”

“…We found that M. tuberculosis has an MMP-II gene (gene name, Rv1876) that is 100% homologous to the MMP-II gene of BCG and 90% homologous to that of M. leprae at the amino acid level. Previously, we purified the recombinant MMP-II (rMMP-II) protein of M. tuberculosis using Mycobacterium smegmatis and evaluated its immunostimulatory activities (29). Similar to M. leprae-derived MMP-II, M. tuberculosis-derived MMP-II ligates TLR2 and activates DCs, and the MMP-II-pulsed DCs activate both subsets of naive T cells (29).…”

“…Previously, we purified the recombinant MMP-II (rMMP-II) protein of M. tuberculosis using Mycobacterium smegmatis and evaluated its immunostimulatory activities (29). Similar to M. leprae-derived MMP-II, M. tuberculosis-derived MMP-II ligates TLR2 and activates DCs, and the MMP-II-pulsed DCs activate both subsets of naive T cells (29). Furthermore, both human DCs and macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis strains such as H37Rv and H37Ra expressed MMP-II derivatives on their surfaces (29).…”