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Mycobacterium smegmatis: an absurd model for tuberculosis?

2001; Elsevier BV; Volume: 9; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0966-842x(01)02169-2

1878-4380

Clifton E. Barry,

Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis

In their letter, Reyrat and Kahn argue that the saprophytic mycobacterial species Mycobacterium smegmatis offers an appropriate model for studying the pathogenesis of the tubercle bacilli. Although this species offers the possibility of some very important and useful comparative biology, studies that use this species to define the particular characteristics that make Mycobacterium tuberculosis such an incredibly successful pathogen should be very cautiously interpreted.