7 months ago
IISc discovers protein protecting tuberculosis bacteria
Scientists in India found a special protein called Lsr2 in the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.
This protein helps the bacteria by stopping foreign DNA from changing its own DNA.
Foreign DNA can come from viruses or other processes.
The researchers think this happens over millions of years.
This discovery helps us understand how the tuberculosis bacteria protect themselves and might help in finding new ways to treat tuberculosis.
IISc researchers discovered a protein called Lsr2 in tuberculosis bacteria.
Lsr2 silences foreign DNA in the bacteria, protecting it from changes.
Foreign DNA can come from viruses or other processes like transduction.
The process happens over millions of years on an evolutionary scale.
This discovery helps understand how tuberculosis bacteria protect themselves.
- Who
- Researchers from IISc and Institute of Mathematical Sciences
- What
- Discovered a protein (Lsr2) that protects tuberculosis bacteria from foreign DNA
- Where
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru and Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai
- When
- Not specified
- Why
- To understand how tuberculosis bacteria protect themselves from foreign DNA
Key facts
- Researchers
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Institute of Mathematical Sciences
- Protein
- Lsr2
- Bacteria
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Effect of Protein
- Silences foreign DNA
- Source of Foreign DNA
- Viral action and transduction
Quotes
Mahipal Ganji
Assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at IISc and corresponding author of the study
“The source (of foreign DNA) is mostly viral action, but there are also other ways, such as transduction. This entering of foreign DNA happens on the evolutionary scale of millions of years.”
indianexpress.com
