Abstract Tuberculosis (TB), the disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains major health problem. We performed experiments with rabbits infected a novel, virulent clinical Mtb isolate of Beijing lineage HN878 carrying an unstable plasmid pBP10, allowing us to quantify how quickly replicates and dies in lungs rabbits. In our vitro we found that pBP10 is more stable strain than co...

Three hundred twenty-four sputum specimens from 151 patients with suspected active pulmonary tuberculosis were tested for the presence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex with auramine fluorochrome stain and automated PCR assay (Roche Cobas Amplicor Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Test [MTB]). The results were compared with those of the conventional Löwenstein-Jensen tube culture and the BACTE...

The emergence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major challenge in tuberculosis treatment and control. In addition, multidrug resistance (MDR) and, more broadly, extensive drug resistance (XDR) have hampered treatment with common antibiotics. Thus, an herbal medicine containing antimicrobial capability can be a good alternative to antituberculosis drugs. In this study, we re...

A series of 1,2,3-trisubstituted indolizines (2a–2f, 3a–3d, and 4a–4c) were screened for in vitro whole-cell anti-tubercular activity against the susceptible H37Rv multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains. Compounds 2b–2d, 4a–4c active H37Rv-MTB strain with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 4 to 32 µg/mL, whereas 4a–4c, ethyl ester group at 4-position...

Metabolism of sulfur (sulfur assimilation pathway, SAP) is one the key pathways for pathogenesis and survival persistant bacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), in latent period. Adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate reductase (APSR) an important enzyme involved SAP, absent from human body, so it might represent a valid target development new antituberculosis drugs. This work aimed to develop...

We describe the design, development, analytical performance, and a limited clinical evaluation of 10-color Xpert MTB/XDR assay (CE-IVD only, not for sale in United States). This is intended as reflex test to detect resistance isoniazid (INH), fluoroquinolones (FLQ), ethionamide (ETH), second-line injectable drugs (SLIDs) unprocessed sputum samples concentrated sediments which are positive Mycob...

Ethionamide (ETH) is part of the drug arsenal available to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The current paradigm of this pro-drug activation involves the mycobacterial enzyme EthA and the transcriptional repressor, EthR. However, several lines of evidence suggest the involvement of additional players. The ethA/R locus was deleted in Mycobacterium bovis BCG and three Mycobacterium tuberc...

Mycobacteria encode five type VII secretion system (T7SS) or ESX for nutrient acquisition and virulence. Mycosins are membrane-anchored components of ESX with serine protease activity but an unidentified substrate range. Establishing the substrate specificity of individual mycosins will help to elucidate individual ESX functions. Mycosin-1 and -3 orthologues from two environmental mycobacterial...

Autophagy provides an important defense mechanism against intracellular bacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis disease (TB). We recently reported that pathogen recognition and antibacterial autophagy are connected by the induction of the DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulator DRAM1 via the toll-like receptor (TLR)-MYD88-NFKB innate immunity sig...

The natural history of human infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is highly variable, as is the response to treatment of active tuberculosis. There is presently no direct means to identify individuals in whom Mtb infection has been eradicated, whether by a bactericidal immune response or sterilizing antimicrobial chemotherapy. Mathematical models can assist in such circumstances by m...