Updated Erdman reveals tandem repeat copy number is phase-variable and impacts <i>M. tuberculosis</i> adaptation across evolutionary timescales.

ABSTRACT: High-quality reference genomes are essential for comparative genomics and accurate genotype-phenotype mapping. Here, we corrected the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Erdman strain reference genome (Erdman_TI) using ultra-deep HiFi sequencing. Among the small variants (n = 275) between Erdman_TI and the current Erdman reference NC_020559.1 (Erdman_STJ), numerous are likely errors in Erdman_STJ. We identified a novel bias toward in-frame structural variations (SVs) in pe/ppe genes and 28 SVs between Erdman_TI and Erdman_STJ, half representing likely errors in Erdman_STJ. Other SVs were consistent with in vitro evolution, including copy number variation (CNV) of promoter tandem repeats (PTRs). PTR CNV

SUBMITTER: Modlin SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12817950 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature