Population and molecular genetics of susceptibility to intracellular pathogens

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Abstract
In the mouse, innate resistance to infection with certain species of Mycobacteria, Salmonella typhimurium and Leishmania donovani is controlled by the expression of a single dominant chromosome 1 gene, designated Bcg. The major effect of the Beg locus is the modulation of the growth rate of these pathogens in cells of the reticuloendothelial tissues during early infection. Using a positional cloning approach, a novel gene designated Nramp has recently been identified as a candidate gene for Bcg. Comparison of linkage and physical maps of mouse, human, bovine and chicken chromosomes indicates that a large cluster of genes in the proximal portion of mouse chromosome 1 is conserved among a variety of species. This has opened up the possibilities of testing the candidacy of Nramp for host resistance and susceptibility to human tuberculosis and leprosy, chicken salmonellosis and cow brucellosis.