MYCOBACTERIUM LEPRAE
BACTERIOLOGY
Mycobacterium leprae, the cause of leprosy, is an
acid-fast bacillus that has not beengrown in artificial medium or tissue
culture beyond, possibly, a few generations. However,it can be grown in the
footpads of normal mice, in thymectomized irradiated mice, and in the
armadillo, which may also be infected naturally. Its growth in animals is very
slow,with an estimated doubling time of 12 to 14 days. Although lack of in
vitro growth se- verely limits study of the organism, the structure and cell
wall components appear to be similar to other mycobacteria. One mycoside,
phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-1), is synthe-sized in large amounts and found only
in M. leprae.
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