Deciphering mycolic acid transport in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

结核病是一个全球性的健康问题，由于多种药物耐药性的增加而进一步恶化。致病菌结核分枝杆菌有一层蜡质、富含脂质的保护细胞壁。细胞壁的一个这样的“构建块”是一组被称为霉菌酸的脂肪酸。虽然我们知道霉菌酸是如何产生的，但对它们如何被运送到细胞外却知之甚少。本研究旨在通过使用一系列分子工具来识别负责霉菌酸运输的基因，从而破译霉菌酸运输过程。由于霉菌酸对结核分枝杆菌的生存至关重要，因此本研究中发现的基因有可能成为药物开发的靶点。此外，由于毒力也需要霉菌酸，这些研究也将间接地影响我们对结核分枝杆菌如何引起疾病的理解。

Tuberculosis is a global health problem, further compounded due to the rise of multi-drug resistance. The causative bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a waxy, protective cell wall which is rich in lipids. One such 'building block' of the cell wall is a group of fatty acids termed mycolic acids. While we know how mycolic acids are made, not much is known about how they are transported to the outside of the cell. This study aims to decipher mycolic acid transport processes by using an array of molecular tools that will identify genes responsible for mycolic acid transport. As mycolic acids are essential for the survival of M. tuberculosis, genes identified in this study have potential to be targeted for drug development. Additionally, as mycolic acids are also required for virulence, these studies will, indirectly, also have implications for our understanding of how M. tuberculosis causes disease.