Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and Intervention
The global burden of tuberculosis (TB), exacerbated by the rise of drug-resistant <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (<i>M. tuberculosis</i>), underscores the need for alternative intervention strategies. One promising approach is to block the infection at its earliest stage—b...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/7/676 |
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| author | Haoyan Yang Yinuo Ma Xinkui Lei Siyu Chai Sigen Zhang Guimin Su Songping Li Lin Du |
| author_facet | Haoyan Yang Yinuo Ma Xinkui Lei Siyu Chai Sigen Zhang Guimin Su Songping Li Lin Du |
| author_sort | Haoyan Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The global burden of tuberculosis (TB), exacerbated by the rise of drug-resistant <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (<i>M. tuberculosis</i>), underscores the need for alternative intervention strategies. One promising approach is to block the infection at its earliest stage—bacterial adhesion to host cells—thereby preventing colonization and transmission without exerting selective pressure. Adhesins, surface-exposed molecules mediating this critical interaction, have therefore emerged as attractive targets for early prevention. This review outlines the infection process driven by bacterial adhesion and describes the architecture of the <i>M. tuberculosis</i> outer envelope, emphasizing components that contribute to host interaction. We comprehensively summarize both non-protein and protein adhesins, detailing their host receptors, biological roles, and experimental evidence. Recent progress in the computational prediction of adhesins, particularly neural network-based tools like SPAAN, is also discussed, highlighting its potential to accelerate adhesin discovery. Additionally, we present a detailed, generalized workflow for predicting <i>M. tuberculosis</i> adhesins, which synthesizes current approaches and provides a comprehensive framework for future studies. Targeting bacterial adhesion presents a therapeutic strategy that interferes with the early stages of infection while minimizing the risk of developing drug resistance. Consequently, anti-adhesion strategies may serve as valuable complements to conventional therapies and support the development of next-generation TB vaccines and treatments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f2cf4bc1cc440d8b40c84cdf2efc3bc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f2cf4bc1cc440d8b40c84cdf2efc3bc2025-08-20T03:56:46ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2025-06-0113767610.3390/vaccines13070676Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and InterventionHaoyan Yang0Yinuo Ma1Xinkui Lei2Siyu Chai3Sigen Zhang4Guimin Su5Songping Li6Lin Du7Research and Development Centre, Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, ChinaResearch and Development Centre, Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, ChinaResearch and Development Centre, Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, ChinaResearch and Development Centre, Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, ChinaResearch and Development Centre, Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, ChinaResearch and Development Centre, Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, ChinaResearch and Development Centre, Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, ChinaThe global burden of tuberculosis (TB), exacerbated by the rise of drug-resistant <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (<i>M. tuberculosis</i>), underscores the need for alternative intervention strategies. One promising approach is to block the infection at its earliest stage—bacterial adhesion to host cells—thereby preventing colonization and transmission without exerting selective pressure. Adhesins, surface-exposed molecules mediating this critical interaction, have therefore emerged as attractive targets for early prevention. This review outlines the infection process driven by bacterial adhesion and describes the architecture of the <i>M. tuberculosis</i> outer envelope, emphasizing components that contribute to host interaction. We comprehensively summarize both non-protein and protein adhesins, detailing their host receptors, biological roles, and experimental evidence. Recent progress in the computational prediction of adhesins, particularly neural network-based tools like SPAAN, is also discussed, highlighting its potential to accelerate adhesin discovery. Additionally, we present a detailed, generalized workflow for predicting <i>M. tuberculosis</i> adhesins, which synthesizes current approaches and provides a comprehensive framework for future studies. Targeting bacterial adhesion presents a therapeutic strategy that interferes with the early stages of infection while minimizing the risk of developing drug resistance. Consequently, anti-adhesion strategies may serve as valuable complements to conventional therapies and support the development of next-generation TB vaccines and treatments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/7/676tuberculosis<i>M. tuberculosis</i>adhesincomputational predictioninfection preventiondrug resistance |
| spellingShingle | Haoyan Yang Yinuo Ma Xinkui Lei Siyu Chai Sigen Zhang Guimin Su Songping Li Lin Du Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and Intervention Vaccines tuberculosis <i>M. tuberculosis</i> adhesin computational prediction infection prevention drug resistance |
| title | Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and Intervention |
| title_full | Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and Intervention |
| title_fullStr | Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and Intervention |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and Intervention |
| title_short | Stopping Tuberculosis at the Gate: The Role of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Adhesins in Infection and Intervention |
| title_sort | stopping tuberculosis at the gate the role of i m tuberculosis i adhesins in infection and intervention |
| topic | tuberculosis <i>M. tuberculosis</i> adhesin computational prediction infection prevention drug resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/7/676 |
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