title: Does Mycobacterium tuberculosis have plasmids?
abstract: Evidence of the presence of plasmids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is lacking, whereas they are widespread in some other mycobacterial species. We examined, by agarose gel electrophoresis, a total of 197 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, mostly resistant to one or more antibiotics, and were able to detect bands of apparently extrachromosomal DNA at a low level in some isolates. These presumptive plasmids could not be isolated by CsCl/ethidium bromide gradient ultracentrifugation, and may consist of unusual forms of DNA. The possible existence of single stranded plasmid DNA is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
authors.forename: Z F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Zainuddin
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Dale
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial