Populations of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis lack a cell wall: Isolation, visualization, and whole-genome characterization.

ABSTRACT:

Objective/background

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) causes active tuberculosis (TB) in only a small percentage of infected people. In most cases, the infection is clinically latent, where bacilli can persist in human hosts for years without causing disease. Surprisingly, the biology of such persister cells is largely unknown. This study describes the isolation, identification, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of latent TB bacilli after 782days (26months) of latency (the ability of MTB bacilli to lie persistent).

Methods

The in vitro double-stress model of latency (oxygen and nutrition) was designed for MTB culture. After 26months of latency, MTB cells that persisted were isolated and investigated under light and atomic force microscopy. Spoligotyping and WGS were performe

SUBMITTER: Velayati AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5443679 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature