Prevalence and Contribution of the Rifampicin Resistance rpoABC Genes in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Abstract: 

Tuberculosis is one of the most fatal single infectious diseases. In recent years antibiotic resistance, particularly rifampicin resistant strains have appeared obstructing treatment of this deadly disease and raising fatality. Many studies have linked this developed resistance to specific genes found in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This paper focus on the three most prominent genes: rpoA, B and C as well as their associated proteins. Here the entries of genes are retrieved from primary databases. Nucleotide and protein sequences are put through BLAST to investigate their relationships with each other as well as how each gene contribute to rifampicin resistance. Moreover, information regarding the structure, function and location within the cell of the relevant proteins were retrieved form secondary databases. Through better understanding the roles of these three genes and their relation to rifampicin resistance, new treatments for tuberculosis or methods of reversing the rifampicin resistance may be developed. This would allow for the survival of more patients by giving rise to more effective treatments.