Phosphatidylmyo-inositol mannosides
Encyclopedia
Phosphatidylmyo-inositol Mannosides (PIMs) are a family of glycolipids found in the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. PIMs influence the interaction of the immune system
with M. tuberculosis, and mice that develop antibodies
for this family of glycolipids are better at sustaining or defeating a M. tuberculosis infection. Thus, PIMs are important glycolipids associated with M. tuberculosis, but are also likely involved with the process by which M. tuberculosis subverts the immune system.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a pathogenic bacterial species in the genus Mycobacterium and the causative agent of most cases of tuberculosis . First discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch, M...
. PIMs influence the interaction of the immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
with M. tuberculosis, and mice that develop antibodies
Antibody
An antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...
for this family of glycolipids are better at sustaining or defeating a M. tuberculosis infection. Thus, PIMs are important glycolipids associated with M. tuberculosis, but are also likely involved with the process by which M. tuberculosis subverts the immune system.