title: TB tools to tell the tale-molecular genetic methods for mycobacterial research.
abstract: In spite of the availability of drugs and a vaccine, tuberculosis--one of man's medical nemeses--remains a formidable public health problem, particularly in the developing world. The persistent nature of the tubercle bacillus, with one third of the world's population is estimated to be infected, combined with the emergence of multi drug-resistant strains and the exquisite susceptibility of HIV-positive individuals, has underscored the urgent need for in-depth study of the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis address the resurgence of TB. In aiming to understand the mechanisms by which mycobacteria react to their immediate environments, molecular genetic tools have been developed from naturally occurring genetic elements. These include protein expressing genes, and episomal and integrating elements, which have been derived mainly from prokaryotic but also from eukaryotic organisms. Molecular genetic tools that had been established as routine procedures in other prokaryotic genera were thus mimicked. Knowledge of the underlying mechanisms greatly expedited the harnessing of these elements for mycobacteriological research and has brought us to a point where these molecular genetic tools are now employed routinely in laboratories worldwide.
authors.affiliation: MRC/NHLS/WITS Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, P.O. Box 1038, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa. edith.machowski@nhls.ac.za
authors.forename: Edith E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Machowski
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dawes
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mizrahi
mesh_terms: D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics*; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D005819:Genetic Markers