Species of environmental mycobacteria differ in their abilities to grow in human, mouse, and carp macrophages and with regard to the presence of mycobacterial virulence genes, as observed by DNA microarray hybridization.

ABSTRACT: There are many species of environmental mycobacteria (EM) that infect animals that are important to the economy and research and that also have zoonotic potential. The genomes of very few of these bacterial species have been sequenced, and little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which most of these opportunistic pathogens cause disease. In this study, 18 isolates of EM isolated from fish and humans (including strains of Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium peregrinum, Mycobacterium chelonae, and Mycobacterium salmoniphilum) were examined for their abilities to grow in macrophage lines from humans, mice, and carp. Genomic DNA from 14 of these isolates was then hybridized against DNA from an M. avium reference strain, with a custom microarray containing virulence genes of mycobacteri

SUBMITTER: Harriff MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2223196 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature