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Abstract
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are conserved and ubiquitous house keeping entities that act as molecular chaperones, which protect the cell from damage during stress. One such HSP, the 16 kDa antigen, from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has received considerable attention due to its importance in tuberculosis latency and immunodominant property. In this article, we discuss about the potential role of 16 kDa antigen of Mtb in latency, its expression, regulation, and implication in host immune response. We also highlight the scope of employing 16 kDa in early diagnosis, development of vaccine and as a potential drug target.
Acknowledgement
We are highly thankful to Mr. U. Gowthaman and Dr. Pawan Gupta for critical reading of the manuscript. This study is supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India. KFS and MA are recipients of fellowship from Department of Biotechnology and University Grant Commissions, India respectively.
Declaration of interest
The author reports no conflicts of interest.