2022 Volume 91 Issue 2 Pages 51-53
Leprosy, an important infectious disease in humans caused by Mycobacterium leprae (Mle), remains endemic in many countries. Of note, the pathogen cannot be cultured in vitro. In addition, Mle grows optimally at 30 to 33℃, while other mycobacteria grow at 37 to 42℃. The molecular bases of these characteristics, as well as the mechanisms remain unknown. Consequently, the analysis of Mle growth and survival is urgently needed to develop novel therapies, such as rapid, simple, and specific methods to detect infection against leprosy. In this study, we functionally characterized in vitro the Mle-DNA gyrase to promote bacterial growth and survival. From our result, we propose that DNA gyrase makes a significant contribution to Mle growth and survival, and DNA gyrase is one of the few clinically validated targets for antimicrobial agents.
