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Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell Envelope

  • Chapter
Tuberculosis

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 215))

Abstract

The mycobacterial cell wall is a complex and intriguing mixture of components which sets Mycobacterium tuberculosis apart from all other known bacterial species (Goodfellow and Minnikin 1984). To understand the M. tuberculosis cell wall, one must first consider the biology of the tubercle bacillus. Tuberculosis has long been known as a cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Indeed it is believed that one third of the word’s population is infected with M. tuberculosis (Sudre et al. 1992). Evidence of tuberculosis-like infections date back many thousands of years, and it is very likely that tuberculosis-related infections have plagued humankind since the dawn of civilization. M. tuberculosis is primarily an intracellular pathogen which resides within the phagolysosomes of alveolar macrophages. Perhaps as a consequence of this intracellular environment, the highly intricate features of the tubercle bacilli cell wall have undergone extensive evolutionary changes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    R. E. Lee, P. J. Brennan & G. S. Besra

Authors
  1. R. E. Lee
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  2. P. J. Brennan
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  3. G. S. Besra
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Human Services, Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis Section, Division of AIDS, STD and TB Laboratory Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30333, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Thomas M. Shinnick Ph.D. (Chief) (Chief)

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Lee, R.E., Brennan, P.J., Besra, G.S. (1996). Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell Envelope. In: Shinnick, T.M. (eds) Tuberculosis. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 215. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80166-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80166-2_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-80166-2

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