The present invention relates to an anti-cancer regulatory response and immunotherapy by Mycobacterium paragordonae (M. paragordonae). Mycobacterium paragordonae according to an aspect has cancer cytotoxicity mediated by natural killer cells or T cells as well as cytotoxicity against cancer cells, and inhibits activation of cancer cytotoxicity regulatory T cells of macrophages or dendritic cells to induce an immune response, thereby inhibiting tumor formation and thus being useful for a cancer immunotherapeutic agent.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for diagnosing and characterizing tuberculosis infection. In particular, provided herein are compositions and methods for identifying drug resistant tuberculosis.

The present invention provides tools and methods for degrading MTBE, TBA and/or HCHO using abacierial consortium comprising one or more strains selected from Methylibium LD3, Hydrogenophaga LD1 and/or Mycobacterium LD6.

Provided are a live recombinant Mycobacterium bovis-BCG strain and a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine or immunogenic composition comprising a nucleic acid capable of overexpression, the nucleic acid encoding PhoP and PhoR proteins. A method for treatment or prophylaxis of a mammal against challenge by Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium bovis using the strain is also provided.

Described herein is a mycobacterium mutant, comprising at least one mutation in at least one gene sequence encoding global gene regulators (GGRs) selected from the group consisting of sigH, sigL, sigE, ECF-1, and mixtures thereof, wherein the GGR gene is at least partially inactivated. Described herein also is a vaccine based on the mutant and a method of differentiating between subjects that have been infected with mycobacterium and subjects that have not been infected with mycobacterium or have been vaccinated with a mycobacterium vaccine.

The invention provides a method for detecting desired Mycobacterium species in a sample, the method comprising the steps of: a) mixing mycobacteriophage-coupled paramagnetic particles with the sample to form a reaction mixture under conditions suitable to allow the mycobacteriophage to bind to any mycobacteriophage-sensitive Mycobacterium species present in the sample; b) applying a magnetic field to the sample to collect, and separate, mycobacteriophage-coupled paramagnetic particles with bound desired Mycobacterium species; c) incubating a suspension of the separated paramagnetic particles with bound Mycobacterium species under conditions to allow the mycobacteriophage to replicate inside viable Mycobacterium species cells and to lyse the viable Mycobacterium species cells; d) recovering, from the incubated suspension, nucleotide, optionally DNA, of lysed Mycobacterium species DNA; and e) analysing the nucleotide, optionally DNA, released from the lysed Mycobacterium species to identify a signature nucleotide, optionally DNA, sequence that occurs in the desired Mycobacterium species. The invention also provides use of a mycobacteriophage; and a kit suitable for performing the aforementioned method.

Methods for detecting an immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis are provided. Aspects of the methods include contacting a biological sample comprising T cells from a subject with at least one M. tuberculosis peptide and determining the presence of T cells in the biological sample that specifically recognize the amino acid sequence of the at least one peptide, wherein the presence of T cells that specifically recognize the amino acid sequence of the at least one peptide indicates the subject has an immune response to M. tuberculosis. In certain aspects, the methods of the present disclosure may include treating a subject identified as having an immune response to M. tuberculosis. Also provided are a skin test and immunoassay kits for practicing the disclosed methods.

The present invention relates to a use of a peptide containing an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 derived from the Rv2626c protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for treating sepsis. The peptide is excellent in inhibiting the inflammatory response induced by macrophages and is excellent in inhibiting the increase in the number of bacterial colonies, and thus can be usefully used for the treatment of sepsis.

A reporter mycobacteriophage comprising a heterologous nucleic acid comprising a promoter-reporter construct encoding a promotor operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a fusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises a luciferase protein linked to a fluorescent protein. Methods of utilizing the reporter mycobacteriophage in detection of a viable target microbe in a sample, screening a test substance for treatment of tuberculosis, and detecting a drug-resistant Mycobacterium in a subject are provided.

A genetically-modified bacterium, for example of the class Actinobacteria, and the use of such a bacterium in the bioconversion of a steroidal substrate into a steroidal product of interest. A method of converting a steroidal substrate into a steroidal product of interest, wherein the method comprises: inoculating culture medium with genetically-modified bacteria according to any of Claims 1 to 28 and growing the bacterial culture until a target OD.sub.600 is reached; adding a steroidal substrate to the bacterial culture when the target OD.sub.600 is reached; culturing the bacterial culture so that the steroidal substrate is converted to the steroidal product of interest; and extracting and/or purifying the steroidal product of interest from the bacterial culture.