whi基因是根据链霉菌中形成白色孢子突变体的相关基因来命名的。目前发现的whi基因分别为除whiC基因和whiF外的whiA～O中的13种基因。存在whi基因的细菌种类已经在链霉菌和分枝杆菌等17种细菌属中发现。目前对两者的研究资料较少,而研究较多的是whiB家族,其中whiB2、whiB3和whiB7具有重要的临床意义。该文对现阶段严重威胁人类健康的致病分枝杆菌属中存在的whi基因(whiA、whiD和whiB)其功能与特点进行讨论。 The whi gene is named based on the genes involved in the formation of white spore mutants in Streptomyces. The whi genes found so far are 13 genes in whiA ~ O except whiC and whiF, respectively. The bacterial species in which the whi gene is present has been found in 17 bacterial species, such as Streptomyces and Mycobacterium. At present, the research data of the two are few, but the research is more whiB family, of which whiB2, whiB3 and whiB7 have important clinical significance. This article discusses the function and characteristics of the whi genes (whiA, whiD and whiB) present in the genus of pathogenic Mycobacteria, which presently pose a serious threat to human health.