02237nas a2200385   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653002300067653004200090653002200132653001100154653001200165653002500177653001600202653000900218653001500227653001900242653002200261100001500283700001200298700001200310700001500322700001500337700000900352700001600361700001400377700001300391700001200404245010500416300001000521490000700531520129900538022001401837       2009                            d  c2009 Sep10aAnimals10aBacterial Proteins10aGene Expression Regulation, Bacterial10aGenome, Bacterial10aHumans10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aPseudogenes10aRats10aRats, Nude10aRNA, Bacterial10aRNA, Untranslated1 aNakamura K1 aAkama T1 aBang PD1 aSekimura S1 aTanigawa K1 aWu H1 aKawashima A1 aHayashi M1 aSuzuki K1 aIshii N00aDetection of RNA expression from pseudogenes and non-coding genomic regions of Mycobacterium leprae.  a183-70 v473 a<p>We have previously reported that some pseudogenes are expressed in Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae), the causative agent of leprosy, and that their expression levels alter upon infection of macrophages. We attempted to further examine the expression of pseudogene and non-coding genomic region in M. leprae, in this study. 19 Pseudogenes, 17 non-coding genomic regions, and 21 coding genes expression in M. leprae maintained in the footpads of the hypertensive nude rat (SHR/NCrj-rnu) were examined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of some of these pseudogenes, non-coding genomic regions and coding genes were also examined in M. leprae from skin smear specimens obtained from patients with lepromatous leprosy by RT-PCR. Transcripts from pseudogenes, non-coding genomic regions and coding genes examined in this study were clearly observed in M. leprae. The expression patterns of some of these transcripts vary greatly among different leprosy patients. These results indicate that some of pseudogenes and non-coding genomic regions are transcribed in M. leprae and analysis of RNA expression patterns including pseudogene and non-coding genomic region in M. leprae may be useful in understanding the pathological states of infected patients.</p>  a1096-1208