Abstract
THE inability to culture Mycobacterium leprae in vitro has been a great obstacle to the progress of research in leprosy. This obstacle has been in part overcome by the introduction of the morphological index for the assessment of the viability of M. leprae, although the index is relatively crude. Biochemical studies1,2 have revealed the specificity of the enzyme o-diphenoloxidase in relation to M. leprae as opposed to other bacteria included in the genus of mycobacteria. o-Diphenoloxidase oxidises 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) to quinone.
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AMBROSE, E., ANTIA, N. & KHONOLKAR, S. Uptake of radioactive DOPA by M. leprae. Nature 249, 854–855 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/249854a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/249854a0
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