Mycobacterium tuberculosis chronic phase of infection:
© 2011 par Sanofi Pasteur
deficiency in biosynthesis of a cell wall lipid that is required for full virulence in mice.
Onset of the adaptive immune response in mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is accompanied by slowing of bacterial replication and establishment of a chronic infection. Stabilization of bacterial numbers during the chronic phase of infection is dependent on the activity of the gamma interferon (IFN-{gamma})-inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2). The group of Prof. John McKinney (LMAM - Laboratory of Microbiology and Microsystems) report that the attenuation of NOS2 mutant strains is attributable to an underlying transposon-independent deficiency in biosynthesis of phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM), a cell wall lipid that is required for full virulence in mice.
Meghan A. Kirksey et al., Infection and Immunity, p. 2829-2838, Vol. 79, No. 7 (2011)