title: Recent advances in deciphering the contribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipids to pathogenesis.
abstract: The cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other members of the Mycobacterium genus typically contains a broad diversity of unique lipid components. These lipids have been intensively studied for more than 70 years, in terms of their structure, biosynthesis and role in interactions with the host. Several recent excellent reviews provide state-of-the-art knowledge about the structure, biosynthesis and biological activity of mycobacterial lipids. We focus here on the most recent findings concerning the supramolecular organisation of the mycobacterial cell envelope, the contribution of lipids to mycobacterial pathogenicity, their mechanisms of action, and their variation in diverse mycobacterial strains.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), 205 route de Narbonne, F-31077 Toulouse, France. Olivier.Neyrolles@ipbs.fr
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Neyrolles
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guilhot
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids