An in vivo biosafety-level-2-compatible model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection for drug susceptibility testing

Abstract

Summary: Available mouse models for tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing requires using virulent biosafety-level-3 (BSL-3) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains, or attenuated BSL-2 strains that lack virulence genes. Here, we present a BSL-2-compatible mouse model for tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing using the auxotrophic Mtb mc26206 strain, which retains all virulence genes. Using rifampicin and a new autophagy-boosting compound, SMIP-30, we provide a step-by-step guide for the infection, drug administration, and evaluation of Mtb burden and cytokine profiles. This protocol is easily adaptable for testing of other antibiotics and host-directed compounds.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Berton et al. (2022). : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Keywords

• Cell Biology
• Flow Cytometry/Mass Cytometry
• Cell-based Assays
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Model Organisms