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Journal of Bacteriology, November 2000, p. 6358-6365, Vol. 182, No. 22
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Detection of mRNA Transcripts and Active Transcription in Persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Induced by Exposure to Rifampin or Pyrazinamide

Yanmin Hu, Joseph A. Mangan, Jasvir Dhillon, Kath M. Sole, Denis A. Mitchison, Philip D. Butcher,* and Anthony R. M. Coates

Department of Medical Microbiology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom

Received 16 May 2000/Accepted 28 August 2000

Mycobacterium tuberculosis can persist in an altered physiological state for many years after initial infection, and it may reactivate to cause active disease. An analogous persistent state, possibly consisting of several different subpopulations of bacteria, may arise during chemotherapy; this state is thought to be responsible for the prolonged period required for effective chemotherapy. Using two models of drug-induced persistence, we show that both microaerophilic stationary-phase M. tuberculosis treated with a high dose of rifampin in vitro and pyrazinamide-induced persistent bacteria in mice are nonculturable yet still contain 16S rRNA and mRNA transcripts. Also, the in vitro persistent, plate culture-negative bacteria incorporate radioactive uridine into their RNA in the presence of rifampin and can rapidly up-regulate gene transcription after the replacement of the drug with fresh medium and in response to heat shock. Our results show that persistent M. tuberculosis has transcriptional activity. This finding provides a molecular basis for the rational design of drugs targeted at persistent bacteria.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Medical Microbiology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 (208) 725 5721. Fax: 44 (208) 672 0234. E-mail: butcherp{at}sghms.ac.uk.

Journal of Bacteriology, November 2000, p. 6358-6365, Vol. 182, No. 22
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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