The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Health

C Harold King

Michael G Schmidt

Thomas M Shinnick

Frederick D Quinn

Mundayoor Sathish

Marie U Owens

An isolated nucleic acid encoding a SecA protein of M. tuberculosis is provided. This nucleic acid can be a native coding sequence for the SecA protein of M. tuberculosis. A specific example of the isolated nucleic acid is one that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2. An isolated fragment of the secA gene that is specific for M. tuberculosis is provided. A purified SecA protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is provided. The purified SecA protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis comprises the polypeptide having the sequence set forth in the Sequence Listing as SEQ ID NO:2. Fragments of the M. tuberculosis SecA protein are provided. A purified mutant SecA protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is provided. The invention provides purified mutant M. tuberculosis expressing the mutant SecA protein of the invention. The invention also provides methods of screening for putative M. tuberculosis virulence factors translocated by the SecA protein.

SecA gene of mycobacterium tuberculosis and related methods and

Regulator of contact-mediated hemolysin

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Rex, GA, United States of America

C Harold King