Project Resolution - Pseudogenes in Myobacterium species: Dr. Christine Boinett and Professor Pablo Tsukayama

In this Project we looked at the reductive evolution shown in Myobacterium leprae which has resulted in specific genomic and subsequently metabolic changes that makes M. lepae dramatically different from Myobacterium tuberculosis, a closely related species of the same genus.

We find that some genes have been replaced by pseudogenes and that these changes have an effect on the metabolism of the organism. As a consequence, the bacterium is able to grow on only a limited number of carbon sources. This has resulted in the shift from M. leprae living free in the environment like most mycobacteria to only living in host cells.

Understanding the nature of M. leprae’s genome, in the comments area, share your thinking on:

• how this disease spreads?

• how M. leprae achieves drug resistance?

• how scientists can track the M. leprae infections using DNA sequencing?

If you know how this or similar bacterial infections are tracked in your country, region, city, or town, share and compare this knowledge with other learners in the comments area.