Lipid hydrolizing enzymes in virulence: Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a model system

This review is focused on the virulent traits of lipolytic enzymes from bacteria with special emphasis on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In vivo, triacylglycerols in the form of inclusion bodies are present in tubercle bacilli in the lungs. This pathogenic bacterium possesses a lipase gene (Lip) family, which is expressed and differentially regulated under a variety of in vitro conditions. Not much research work has been carried out on these lipolytic enzymes. A better understanding of lipolytic enzymes in mycobacteria would lead to develop new strategies for tuberculosis treatment. The present review highlights the recent work done in the field of mycobacterium lipolytic enzymes and their involvement in the virulence and pathogenicity.