Mycobacterium tuberculosis
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Soumya Sachdeva; João André Alves Silva, M.D. [2]
Overview
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacterium that causes most cases of tuberculosis.[1] It was first described on March 24, 1882 by Robert Koch, who subsequently received the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for this discovery in 1905; the bacterium is also known as Koch's bacillus. The M. tuberculosis genome was sequenced in 1998.[2][3]
Taxonomy
Cellular organisms; Bacteria; Actinobacteria; Actinobacteria; Actinobacteridae; Actinomycetales; Corynebacterineae; Mycobacteriaceae; Mycobacterium; Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex; M. tuberculosis[4]
Biology
Mycobacterium tuberculosis belongs to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. This complex includes M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, M. canetti, and M. microti.[5]
M. tuberculosis is an obligate aerobe, non-encapsulated, non-motile, acid-fast bacillus. It does not form spores and its ideal growing environment includes tissues with high levels of oxygen. It cannot be considered gram positive or gram negative due to its high lipid cell wall, that is impermeable to the dyes until combined with an alcohol. On microscopic examination of sputum samples, the bacteria cannot be distinguished from other acid-fast bacteria, such as Nocardia app.[5]
M. tuberculosis has a very slow rate of replication, taking about 15 to 20 hours to divide. This characteristic, added to its ability to remain in latent state for long periods of time, account for the treatment duration required for infected patients.[5]
Structure
Slender, straight or slightly curved bacillus with rounded ends, occuring singly, in pairs or in small clumps. These bacilli are acid fast, non sporing, non capsulated and non motile.
Natural Reservoir
Human beings are the main natural reservoir for M. tuberculosis, however, the bacteria may infect other species.[5]
Resistance
Mycobacteria are killed at 60 degree celsius in 15-20 minutes. They are sensitive to UV rays and sunlight. They are relatively resistant to 5% phenol, 15% sulphuric acid, 5% oxalic acid, 4% sodium hydroxide. The bacillus are destroyed by tincture of sodium in five minutes and by 80% ethanol in 2-10 minutes.
References
- ↑ Ryan KJ; Ray CG (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed. ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-8385-8529-9.
- ↑ Cole ST; Brosch R; Parkhill J; et al. (1998). "Deciphering the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the complete genome sequence". Nature. 393: 537&ndash, 544.
- ↑ Camus JC; Pryor MJ; Medigue C; Cole ST. (148). "Re-annotation of the genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv". Microbiology. 2002: 2967&ndash, 2973.
- ↑ "Poliovirus".
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lawn SD, Zumla AI (2011). "Tuberculosis". Lancet. 378 (9785): 57–72. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62173-3. PMID 21420161.