Table 2.
Grouping of Mycobacterium species based on characteristic features
| Characteristic features | vanbaalenii | smegmatis | ulcerans | tuberculosis | leprae |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth in pure culture |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
≠ |
| Evidence for cospeciation |
- |
- |
- |
√ |
- |
| Survival outside of the human body |
√ |
√ |
√ |
≠ |
- |
| Known animal or environmental reservoir |
√ |
√ |
√1 |
≠ |
≠2 |
| Genome size (bp) |
6491865 |
6988209 |
5631606 |
4403837 |
3268203 |
| Grouping | A | A | B | B | B |
1-in wild koalas, possums, alpacas; 2-except for one species: armadillos.