Comparative proteome analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG strains: towards functional genomics of microbial pathogens

In 1993, the WHO declared tuberculosis a global emergency on the basis that there are 8 million new cases per year. The complete genome of the strain H37Rv of the causative microorganism, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, comprisin g 3924 genes has been sequenced. We compared the proteomes of two non-virul ent vaccine strains of M. bovis BCG (Chicago and Copenhagen) with two virul ent strains of M, tuberculosis (H37Rv and Erdman) to identify protein candi dates of value for the development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutic s. The mycobacterial strains were analysed by two-dimensional electrophores is (2-DE) combining non-equilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis (NEPHGE) wi th SDS-PAGE. Distinct and characteristic proteins were identified by mass s pectrometry and introduced into a dynamic 2-DE database (http://www.mpiibbe rlin.mpg.de/2D-PAGE). Silver-stained 2-DE patterns of mycobacterial cell pr oteins or culture supernatants contained 1800 or 800 spots, respectively, f rom which 263 were identified. Of these, 54 belong to the culture supernata nt, Sixteen and 25 proteins differing in intensity or position between M. t uberculosis H37Rv and Erdman, and H37Rv and M. bovis BCG Chicago, respectiv ely, were identified and categorized into protein classes. It is to be hope d that the availability of the mycobacterial proteome will facilitate the d esign of novel measures for prevention and therapy of one of the great heal th threats, tuberculosis.