Gordon Stephen V, Brosch Roland, Eiglmeier Karin, Garnier Thierry, Hewinson R Glyn, Cole Stewart T
Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2002 Jan-Feb;96(1):1-6. doi: 10.1016/s0035-9203(02)90222-1.
The small size of their genomes made bacterial ideal model organisms for the emerging field of genomics. Elucidating the genome sequences of mycobacteria was particularly attractive owing to the difficulties inherent in their manipulation. The slow growth rate, clumping, and requirement for category III containment make manipulation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-complex strains laborious. M. leprae presents even greater problems as it has resisted all attempts at axenic culture. Availability of genome sequence data promised to accelerate our knowledge of the fundamental biology of these organisms, and to offer clues to the basis for their virulence, tropism and persistence in the host. This article will focus on what the genome sequences of M. tuberculosis and M. leprae have taught us about these pathogens, and how comparative genomics has exposed some of the fundamental differences between the species.
细菌基因组规模小，这使其成为新兴基因组学领域理想的模式生物。由于分枝杆菌操作存在固有困难，阐明其基因组序列格外具有吸引力。结核分枝杆菌复合群菌株生长缓慢、易结块，且需要三级生物安全防护，对其进行操作很费力。麻风分枝杆菌带来的问题更多，因为它一直无法在无菌培养条件下生长。基因组序列数据的可得性有望加快我们对这些生物体基本生物学特性的认识，并为其毒力、嗜性及在宿主体内的持久性提供线索。本文将重点探讨结核分枝杆菌和麻风分枝杆菌的基因组序列让我们对这些病原体有了哪些了解，以及比较基因组学如何揭示了这两个物种之间的一些根本差异。
