Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HSP, Recombinant, 38kD (MPT63, MPB63)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the etiologic agent of tuberculosis (TB) in humans. Humans are the only reservoir for the bacterium. Mycobacterium bovis is the etiologic agent of TB in cows and rarely in humans. Both cows and humans can serve as reservoirs. Humans can also be infected by the consumption of unpasteurized milk. This route of transmission can lead to the development of extrapulmonary TB, exemplified in history by bone infections that led to hunched backs. Other human pathogens belonging to the Mycobacterium genus include Mycobacterium avium which causes a TB-like disease especially prevalent in AIDS patients, and Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a fairly large non-motile rod-shaped bacterium distantly related to the Actinomycetes. Many non pathogenic mycobacteria are components of the normal flora of humans, found most often in dry and oily locales. The rods are 2-4um in length and 0.2-0.5um in width. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an obligate aerobe. For this reason, in the classic case of tuberculosis, the M.TB. complexes are always found in the well-aerated upper lobes of the lungs. The bacterium is a facultative intracellular parasite, usually of macrophages, and has a slow generation time, 15-20 hours, a physiological characteristic that may contribute to its virulence. M.TB. is not classified as either Gram-positive or Gram-negative because it does not have the chemical characteristics of either, although the bacteria do contain peptidoglycan (murein) in their cell wall. If a Gram stain is performed on M.TB., it stains very weakly Gram-positive or not at all (referred to as "ghosts"). Mycobacterium species, along with members of a related genus Nocardia , are classified as acid-fast bacteria due to their impermeability by certain dyes and stains. Despite this, once stained, acid-fast bacteria will retain dyes when heated and treated with acidified organic compounds. One acid-fast staining method for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the Ziehl-Neelsen stain . When this method is used, the M.TB. smear is fixed, stained with carbol-fuchsin (a pink dye), and decolorized with acid-alcohol. The smear is counterstained with methylene-blue or certain other dyes. Acid-fast bacilli appear pink in a contrasting background.\n\nSource:\nE. coli\n\nMolecular Weight:\n~38kD\n\nApplications:\nSuitable for use in ELISA. Other applications not tested.\n\nRecommended Dilution:\nOptimal dilutions to be determined by the researcher.\n\nStorage and Stability:\nMay be stored at 4 degrees C for short-term only. For long-term storage, store at -20 degrees C. Aliquots are stable for at least 6 months at -20 degrees C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.

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