Mycobacterium tuberculosis wears what it eats.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains one of the most pernicious of human pathogens. Current vaccines are ineffective, and drugs, although efficacious, require prolonged treatment with constant medical oversight. Overcoming these problems requires a greater appreciation of M. tuberculosis in the context of its host. Upon infection of either macrophages in culture or animal models, the bacterium realigns its metabolism in response to the new environments it encounters. Understanding these environments, and the stresses that they place on M. tuberculosis, should provide insights invaluable for the development of new chemo- and immunotherapeutic strategies.
Russell
David G
DG
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
VanderVen
Brian C
BC
Lee
Wonsik
W
Abramovitch
Robert B
RB
Kim
Mi-jeong
MJ
Homolka
Susanne
S
Niemann
Stefan
S
Rohde
Kyle H
KH
D000818:Animals; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*