ATP synthase, an essential enzyme in growth and multiplication is modulated by protein tyrosine phosphatase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) protein tyrosine phosphatase (PtpA) has so far been known to control intracellular survival of mycobacteria; whereas the ATP synthase which is essential for mycobacterial growth has recently been contemplated in developing a breakthrough anti-TB drug, diarylquinoline. Since both of these enzymes have been established as validated drug targets; we report a robust and functional relationship between these two enzymes through a series of experiments using Mtb H37Ra. In the present study we report that the mycobacterial ATP synthase alpha subunit is regulated by PtpA. We generated gene knock-out for the enzyme PtpA and subjected to determine the mycobacterial replication and the proteome profile of wild type, mutant (ΔptpA) and complemented (ΔptpA:ptpA) strains of Mtb H37Ra. A substantial amount of decrease in the protein level of ATP synthase alpha subunit (AtpA) in case of mutant H37Ra was observed, while the levels of the enzyme were either increased or remained unchanged, in wild type and in the complemented strains.