Hypervirulent mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resulting from disruption of the mce1 operon.

ABSTRACT: An estimated one-third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of tuberculosis. Here, we demonstrate that, unlike wild-type M. tuberculosis, a strain of M. tuberculosis disrupted in the mce1 operon was unable to enter a stable persistent state of infection in mouse lungs. Instead, the mutant continued to replicate and killed the mice more rapidly than did the wild-type strain. Histological examination of mouse lungs infected with the mutant strain revealed diffusely organized granulomas with aberrant inflammatory cell migration. Murine macrophages infected ex vivo with the mutant strain were reduced in their ability to produce tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and nitric oxide (NO), but not IL-

SUBMITTER: Shimono N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC307668 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature