       Document 0874
 DOCN  M9480874
 TI    Genetic analysis of Mycobacterium avium superoxide dismutase.
 DT    9410
 AU    Escuyer V; Haddad N; Berche P; Laboratoire de Microbiologie, INSERM,
       Faculte de Medecine; Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
 SO    Abstr Gen Meet Am Soc Microbiol. 1994;94:176 (abstract no. U-21). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ASM94/94313071
 AB    Mycobacterium avium is a major opportunistic pathogen widely spread in
       the environment and responsible for severe infections in
       immunocompromised patients with AIDS. It is able to survive and
       replicate in the phagocytic cells of the host immune system and resists
       the oxidative burst of activated macrophages. M. avium produces a 23-kDa
       superoxide dismutase (SOD) that is thought to be involved in the
       resistance to the respiratory burst-associated bactericidal mechanisms.
       In order to investigate the molecular basis of this resistance, we have
       cloned the gene encoding the M. avium SOD by screening a recombinant DNA
       library with a probe corresponding to the SOD gene from Mycobacterium
       tuberculosis. The complete nucleotide sequence of the gene was
       determined. It encodes a 207 amino acid protein that shows a very high
       homology with the SOD's from Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium
       tuberculosis (90% and 80% respectively) and very significant homology
       with manganese or iron-containing SOD's from other organisms including
       eucaryotes. The exact role of the M. avium SOD in intracellular survival
       is now under investigation.
 DE    Amino Acid Sequence  AIDS-Related Opportunistic
       Infections/IMMUNOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY  Comparative Study  *Genes, Bacterial
       Human  Macrophages/PHYSIOLOGY  Mycobacterium avium/*ENZYMOLOGY/GENETICS
       Mycobacterium leprae/ENZYMOLOGY/GENETICS  Mycobacterium
       tuberculosis/ENZYMOLOGY/GENETICS  Phagocytosis  Sequence Homology, Amino
       Acid  Superoxide Dismutase/*GENETICS
       Tuberculosis/IMMUNOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

