[Cellular cycle control in mycobacteria]

Possibly the failure to eradicate the tuberculosis is linked to the pathogenesis of the causative organism, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These bacteria can lie quiescent in the human host and later multiplies leading to a higher density of bacteria to increase and, hence at progressive tuberculosis. Particularly unknown is how the mechanism work and which are the molecules responsible for determining if the cells goes to an active replicate process, or in contrast to establish a dormant state. Many genes involved in DNA replication, chromosome segregation and cellular division have been cloned and analysed, and in some bacteria, as E. coli, the cellular cycle events have been described. However, the factors coupling these events are unknown.