DIAGNOSTICS AND VACCINES FOR MYCOBACTERIA IN PUBLIC HEALTH, MEDICAL, ANDVETERINARY PRACTISE

摘要

The invention relates to a family of DNAinsertion sequences (ISMY) of mycobacterial origin andother DNA probes which may be used as probes in assaymethods for the identification of mycobacteria and thedifferentiation between closely related mycobacterialstrains and species. In one method the probes are used todistinguish pathogenic M. paratuberculosis from M. avium,which finds an application in the diagnosis of Crohn'sdisease in humans and Johne's disease in animals. The useof ISMY, and of proteins and peptides encoded by ISMY, invaccines, pharmaceutical preparations and diagnostic testkits is also disclosed.