Mammalian cell entry gene family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Knowledge of virulence factors is important to understand the microbial pathogenesis and find better antibiotics. Mammalian cell entry (mce) is a crucial protein family for the virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). This review summarized the advances on mce genes. The genomic organization, characteristics of mce genes, phylogeny of this family, and their roles in M. tuberculosis virulence are emphasized in this review.