Molecular characterizations of rel and rellike genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a highly pathogenic bacterium belonging to the Mycobacteriaceae family and the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), also known as „white plague‟. Robert Koch (Fig. 1) first discovered the pathogen in 1882. Mtb has an unusual, waxy coating on its cell surface (primarily mycolic acid), which makes the cells impervious to Gram staining, therefore, acid-fast detection techniques are used. Mtb is highly aerobic and requires high levels of oxygen. Mtb typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other tissues of the body. It is transmitted through person to person via aerosols. In healthy people, infection with Mtb often causes no symptoms, since the person's immune system acts to “wall off” the bacteria. The symptoms of active TB of the lung are coughing, sometimes sputum may contain frank blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. The most frequently used diagnostic methods for TB are the tuberculin skin test, acid-fast stain and chest radiograph