Radhakrishnan, M and Kumar, Vanaja and Selvakumar, N (2010) Mycobacteria in environmental clean-up. Microorganisms-ENVIS Centre (Newsletter), 8 (3&4).
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Abstract
Mycobacteria are a diverse group of rod-shaped acid-fast bacteria that include more than 70 different species. The obligate pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae cause tuberculosis and leprosy respectively. Most other mycobacteria live in the soil and water in both rural and urban settings throughout the world. There is no standard naming convention for this group of microorganisms. They may be referred to as nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOTT), atypical mycobacteria and/or environmental mycobacteria. They can be found in aerosols, rivers and swamps, in treated city water, public swimming pools, hot spas, humidifiers, aquariums, garden soils, food, and many other places. Because they are protected by their waxy lipid-rich cell wall, mycobacteria are resistant to disinfectants and water treatment measures. Almost half of the NTM species identified are associated with opportunistic infections in animals and humans, and several have caused sporadic outbreaks. But, certain species of mycobacteria play an important role in environmental clean-up processes such as biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), crude oils and chemical dyes and other recalcitrant molecules. This article will focus on the role of certain species of NTM in bioremediation of major environmental pollutant, PAHs.
| Affiliation: | ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Article |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Mycobacteria, environment, clean-up |
| Subjects: | Tuberculosis > Laboratory Research > Bacteriological |
| Divisions: | Basic Science Research > Bacteriology |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Rathinasabapati R |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Jun 2022 11:20 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Jun 2022 05:47 |
| URI: | http://eprints.nirt.res.in/id/eprint/1078 |
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