Molecular biology of mycobacteria

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Abstract
The application of molecular biology to the understanding of mycobacterial infections has recently begun. Basic information such as the size and G+C content of the Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomes has been obtained, and the DNA has been cloned in Escherichia coli . Expression of mycobacterial genes, especially those coding for immunologically active proteins has been achieved. The use of Streptomyces as a cloning host for mycobacterial DNA is being explored and attempts are being made to develop cloning systems involving cultivable mycobacteria. It is anticipated that the study of the molecular biology of the mycobacteria will lead to important developments in the diagnosis of mycobacterial infections, the cloning of enzyme targets for drugs and of immunologically important molecules, the understanding of pathogenicity, and the development of recombinant vaccines.

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