Immunome Research
Open Access
ISSN: 1745-7580
ISSN: 1745-7580
1GITAM School of Science, GITAM University, Rudraram, Hyderabad Campus, Telangana, 502329, India
Research Article
PE/PPE Proteins as Central Regulators of Autophagy Suppression, Immune Modulation, and Intracellular Persistence in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Author(s): Mohd Shariq, Nasreen Z. Ehtesham, Yashika Ahuja, Anwar Alam, Diksha Thakuri, Haleema Fayaz, Gauri Shrivastava, Javaid Ahmad Sheikh and Seyed E. Hasnain*
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiological agent of Tuberculosis (TB), has evolved sophisticated strategies to survive and persist within host macrophages despite robust innate and adaptive immune defenses. A growing body of evidence highlights the crucial role of the Proline-Glutamic Acid/Proline-Proline-Glutamic Acid (PE/ PPE) family of proteins, unique to pathogenic mycobacteria and constituting nearly 10% of the Mtb genome, in orchestrating immune evasion. Among the host defense pathways targeted by Mtb, autophagy has emerged as a critical cell-intrinsic antimicrobial mechanism that restricts intracellular bacterial growth and facilitates antigen presentation. However, virulent Mtb strains actively suppress autophagy through diverse molecular strategies, many of which are mediated by PE/PPE proteins. In this Revie.. View More»