Mycobacterium smegmatis: The Vanguard of Mycobacterial Research

The genus Mycobacterium contains several slow-growing human pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Mycobacterium leprae , and Mycobacterium avium . Mycobacterium smegmatis is a nonpathogenic and fast growing species within this genus. In 1990, a mutant of M. smegmatis , designated mc 2 155, that could be transformed with episomal plasmids was isolated, elevating M. smegmatis to model status as the ideal surrogate for mycobacterial research.