Deletionof <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Sigma Factor E Results inDelayed Time to Death with Bacterial Persistence in the Lungsof Aerosol-InfectedMice

Abstract

The stress-induced extracytoplasmic sigma factor E (SigE) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis shows increased expression after heat shock, sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment, and oxidative stress, as well as after phagocytosis in macrophages. We report that deletion of sigE results in delayed lethality in mice without a significant reduction of bacterial numbers in lungs.