Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-95).This study aimed to investigate whether the mycobacterial replicon may also play a role. The common mycobacterial replicon in episomal E. coli-mycobacterial shuttle vectors contains the truncated rap gene, encoding an auxiliary replication factor, and the repA and repB genes which code for essential replication proteins. Specific aspects of this typical mycobacterial replicon were identified as potential targets to improve stability and increase recombinant protein expression levels, and were modified accordingly
