french and British researchers have discovered the genetic code of tuberculosis -- a disease that still kills nearly three million people every year. The discovery is considered to be of crucial importance as knowledge about the complete genetic make-up of the bacillus would help researchers find new ways of combating tuberculosis, says Stewart Cole, head of the French team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France.
The tb bacillus contains about 4,000 genes. A large portion of its coding capacity is devoted to the production of enzymes involved in lipogenesis or lipolysis. It indicates that the bacterium derives its energy from fats in the cells it infects, says a report.
The natural resistance of the 'mycobacterium tuberculosis" to large number of antibiotics is due to its cell wall that acts as a barrier. However, studies have shown that tb bacillus has other potential defence sources such as enzymes that enable it to resist certain treatments. A better understanding of these resistance mechanisms should provide clues about how to use existing medical drugs efficiently and make it easier to develop new medicines, according to the researchers.