Differences in Cell Wall Thickness between Resistant and Nonresistant Strains of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>: Using Transmission Electron Microscopy

Vol. 55, No. 5, 2009

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Microbiology

Differences in Cell Wall Thickness between Resistant and Nonresistant Strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Using Transmission Electron Microscopy
Ali Akbar Velayati^a, Parissa Farnia^{a, c}, Tengku Azmi Ibrahim^c, Rafiuz Zaman Haroun^c, Ho Oi Kuan^a, Jalaledin Ghanavi^b, Poopak Farnia^b, Ali Naghee Kabarei^a, Payam Tabarsi^a, Abdul Rahman Omar^c, Mohammad Varahram^a, Mohammad Reza Masjedi^a

^aMycobacteriology Research Centre, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), WHO Collaborating Centre and
^bExperimental & Animal Research Laboratory, NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran;
^cMicroscopy Unit, Institute of Bioscience, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Address of Corresponding Author

Chemotherapy 2009;55:303-307 (DOI: 10.1159/000226425)

Key Words

Tuberculosis
Cell wall
TEM

Abstract

The ultrastructure of the cell wall of extensively drug-resistant (XDR), multidrug-resistant (MDR) and susceptible tuberculosis (TB) bacilli was viewed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Under the TEM, marked differences were observed in the thickness of their cell wall: 20.2 ±1.5 and 17.1 ±1.03 nm for the XDR and MDR TB bacilli, respectively, and 15.6 ± 1.3 nm for the susceptible isolates (p < 0.05). In MDR bacilli, thickening of the cell wall was observed in the intermediate electron-transparent layer (ETL) and outer electron-opaque layer, whereas in XDR TB cells the basal peptidoglycan layer was denser and almost fused with the ETL. Five to seven percent of XDR TB bacilli had the appearance of the stationary phase with cell wall thickness ranging from 21 to 26 nm (p < 0.001). Information provided in this study is of significant importance in terms of drug selection for effective treatment of resistant strains.

Author Contacts

P. Farnia
Mycobacteriology Centre, NRITLD/WHO
Shahid Beheshti University (Medical Campus)
PO 19575/154, Tehran 19556 (Iran)
Tel. +98 9 122 207 382, Fax +98 2 120 109 505, E-Mail pfarnia@hotmail.com

Article Information

Received: January 27, 2009
Accepted after revision: April 8, 2009
Published online: June 26, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 5, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 29

Medline Abstract (ID 19556787)

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