title: The genome of Mycobacterium leprae: a minimal mycobacterial gene set.
abstract: Comparison of the recently sequenced genome of the leprosy-causing pathogen Mycobacterium leprae with other mycobacterial genomes reveals a drastic gene reduction and decay in M. leprae affecting many metabolic areas, exemplified by the retention of a minimal set of genes required for cell-wall biosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Varalakshmi.Vissa@colostate.edu
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Vissa
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*