# CSIR-CCMB mapped Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein export and found two essential pathways in lab tests

- Published: 2026-11-10 13:36 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: tuberculosis drug targets, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, protein secretion pathways, SecA1 and Tat, CSIR-CCMB research, CRISPR gene silencing, drug-resistant TB, bacterial cell envelope, ESX secretion systems
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-30764f27f1fdd1ab5ab4c2ab_csir_ccmb_mapped/

**Indian researchers mapped protein secretion in the TB bacterium and showed that SecA1 and Tat are essential for its growth. The work may help identify drug targets; it is at the laboratory stage.**

![CSIR-CCMB mapped Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein export and found two essential pathways in lab tests](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/45da3e41e5007dfc.jpg)
*The Hindu Sci-Tech*

A team at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad has mapped the protein export machinery of *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, and identified weaknesses in it, reports The Hindu Sci-Tech on 10 November 2026 [1]. The study was led by CCMB Director Vinay Kumar Nandicoori. Joint first authors were Priyadarshini Sanyal and Jagadeeshwari Uppada [1].

The researchers worked with the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, led by Areejit Samal, and the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad [1]. The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular & Cellular Proteomics [1].

## Mapping the protein transport network

The team combined computational modelling with laboratory experiments. They identified 92 key components and nearly 200 molecular reactions in the bacterium's protein transport network [1]. The network includes the general Sec pathway, the Twin-Arginine Translocation (Tat) system and the ESX secretion systems, which are specific to this group of bacteria [1].

The process governs how the pathogen moves proteins within and outside its cells and is essential for its growth, survival and ability to cause disease [1]. "Protein secretion acts like a delivery system inside the bacterium and is vital for its survival," said Uppada [1].

## Silencing SecA1 and Tat

The authors focused on two pathways, SecA1 and Tat, and reduced their activity with CRISPR-based gene silencing [1]. Bacterial growth declined sharply both in laboratory cultures and inside immune cells, which indicates that both pathways are essential for the pathogen [1].

According to Sanyal, disrupting these systems affected the export of more than 100 proteins in the SecA1 pathway and around 140 proteins linked to the Tat system [1]. The researchers also observed structural damage to the bacterial cell membrane, which became unstable and more permeable. Proteins that normally stay inside the bacterium leaked into the surrounding environment [1].

Nandicoori said these changes show a close link between protein secretion and the maintenance of the bacterial cell envelope, a factor in TB's persistence and resistance to treatment [1].

## Context and stage

The article cites the World Health Organisation's Global TB Report 2025: India accounts for nearly a quarter of global TB cases and about a third of drug-resistant infections [1]. Treatment requires a combination of antibiotics taken over several months, and resistant strains make it harder [1].

The findings could help researchers identify new drug targets. Turning them into effective medicines will require several more years of research [1].

## Sources

1. [The Hindu Sci-Tech](https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/csir-ccmb-team-identifies-potential-new-targets-to-fight-tuberculosis/article71682790.ece)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-30764f27f1fdd1ab5ab4c2ab_csir_ccmb_mapped/