The carbon starvation-inducible genes Rv2557 and Rv2558 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are not required for long-term survival under carbon starvation and for virulence in SCID mice.

Summary: Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes Rv2557 and Rv2558 have no known function. However, proteome, transcriptome and in situ hybridization studies have shown that these genes are significantly upregulated under carbon-starved conditions and in human granulomas, suggesting that they may play a role in persistence. Single and double deletion mutants of M. tuberculosis H37Rv in Rv2557 and/or Rv2558 were generated to explore their individual and/or collective role(s) in growth and survival. The mutants were assessed for growth and survival in vitro under normal and nutrient-deprived conditions and for virulence in the SCID mouse model. Although highly induced by carbon starvation, loss of Rv2557 and/or Rv2558 affected neither the long-term survival of M. tuberculosis under carbon-starved conditions in vitro, nor its virulence in SCID mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]