The enduring hypoxic response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A significant body of evidence accumulated over the last century suggests a link between hypoxic microenvironments within the infected host and the latent phase of tuberculosis. Studies to test this correlation have identified the M. tuberculosis initial hypoxic response, controlled by the two-component response regulator DosR. The initial hypoxic response is completely blocked in a dosR deletion mutant.

Methodology/principal findings

We show here that a dosR deletion mutant enters bacteriostasis in response to in vitro hypoxia with only a relatively mild decrease in viability. In the murine infection model, the phenotype of the mutant was indistinguishable from that of the parent strain. These results suggested that additional genes may be essential for entry int

SUBMITTER: Rustad TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2198943 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature