Mycobacterium Smegmatis

A Mycobacterium Smegmatis is an Aerobic Gram-Positive Bacteria that is a unicellular bacteria from the Acid-Fast Bacterial Species with high G+C DNA. They are taxonomically related to the Antibiotic-Producing Streptomycetes.

• AKA: Mycobacteria.
• Example(s):
  • Mycobacterium Smegmatis http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9RLP7
  • PMID 15504836: “It is assumed that small and hydrophilic antibiotics cross the outer membrane via porins, whereas hydrophobic antibiotics may diffuse through the membrane directly. A mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis lacking the major porin MspA was used to examine the role of the porin pathway in antibiotic sensitivity”
• See: M. Smegmatis.

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References

2009

• (Wikipedia, 2009) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycobacterium_smegmatis
  • TMycobacterium smegmatis is an acid-fast bacterial species in the genus Mycobacterium. It was first reported in November 1884 by Lustgarten who found a bacillus with the staining appearance of tubercle bacilli in syphilitic chancres. Subsequently, Alvarez and Tavel found organisms similar to that described by Lustgarten as well as in normal genital secretions (smegma). This organism was later named M. smegmatis.
  • M. smegmatis is generally considered a non-pathogenic microorganism; however, in some very rare cases it may cause disease, likely requiring an immunocompromised animal.
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis is useful for the research analysis of other Mycobacteria species in laboratory experiments. M. smegmatis is commonly used in work on the mycobacterium species due to it being a "fast grower" and being non-pathogenic.

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