| abstract |
A recombinant screening, cloning and/or expression vector that replicates in mycobacteria, comprising: a replicon functional in mycobacteria; a selectable marker; and a reporter cassette comprising (a) a multiple cloning site (polylinker), (b) optionally a mycobacterial transcription terminator upstream of the polylinker, (c) a coding sequence from a gene coding for a protein expression, export and/or secretion marker, the coding sequence lacking its start codon and regulatory sequences, and (d) a coding sequence from a gene coding for a cis- acting promoter activity marker, the coding sequence having its start codon. Also covered is a method for screening mycobacterial nucleotide sequences to detect sequences coding for exported and/or secreted polypeptides that may be induced or repressed during infection, promoter and/or (other) regulatory sequences associated with such coding sequences, especially sequences that permit or enhance the export and/or secretion of such polypeptides, or all or part of genes coding for such polypeptides, using a vector as above. |