12 NOVEMBER 1998 | S. T. Cole, R. Brosch, J. Parkhill, T. Garnier, C. Churcher, D. Harris, S. V. Gordon, K. Eiglmeier, S. Gas, C. E. Barry III, F. Tekaia, K. Badcock, D. Basham, D. Brown, T. Chillingworth, R. Connor, R. Davies, K. Devlin, T. Feltwell, S. Gentles, N. Hamlin, S. Holroyd, T. Hornsby, K. Jägels, A. Krogh, J. McLean, S. Moule, L. Murphy, K. Oliver, J. Osborne, M. A. Quail, M.-A. Rajandream, J. Rogers, S. Rutter, K. Seeger, J. Skelton, R. Squares, S. Squares, J. E. Sulston, K. Taylor, S. Whitehead & B. G. Barrell
The article provides a comprehensive overview of the complete genome sequence of *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* H37Rv, detailing its structure, gene content, and metabolic pathways. The genome consists of 4,411,529 base pairs with a high G+C content, encoding approximately 4,000 genes. Key features include a large portion of genes involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis, as well as two new families of glycine-rich proteins that may facilitate antigenic variation. The study highlights the bacterium's slow growth, dormancy, and complex cell envelope, which contribute to its chronic nature and treatment challenges. The genome also reveals extensive regulatory mechanisms, including a family of eukaryotic-like serine/threonine protein kinases, and potential drug resistance mechanisms. The article discusses lipid metabolism, including fatty acid biosynthesis and degradation, and the synthesis of mycolic acids and polyketides. Additionally, it explores the immunological aspects and pathogenicity of *M. tuberculosis*, noting the presence of glycine-rich proteins that could be involved in antigenic variation and immune response modulation. The genome sequence is expected to accelerate research on pathogenesis and vaccine development.The article provides a comprehensive overview of the complete genome sequence of *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* H37Rv, detailing its structure, gene content, and metabolic pathways. The genome consists of 4,411,529 base pairs with a high G+C content, encoding approximately 4,000 genes. Key features include a large portion of genes involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis, as well as two new families of glycine-rich proteins that may facilitate antigenic variation. The study highlights the bacterium's slow growth, dormancy, and complex cell envelope, which contribute to its chronic nature and treatment challenges. The genome also reveals extensive regulatory mechanisms, including a family of eukaryotic-like serine/threonine protein kinases, and potential drug resistance mechanisms. The article discusses lipid metabolism, including fatty acid biosynthesis and degradation, and the synthesis of mycolic acids and polyketides. Additionally, it explores the immunological aspects and pathogenicity of *M. tuberculosis*, noting the presence of glycine-rich proteins that could be involved in antigenic variation and immune response modulation. The genome sequence is expected to accelerate research on pathogenesis and vaccine development.