Dynamic population changes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis during acquisition and fixation of drug resistance in patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Drug-resistant tuberculosis poses a growing challenge to global public health. However, the diversity and dynamics of the bacterial population during acquisition of drug resistance have yet to be carefully examined.

Methods

Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 7 serial Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) populations from 3 patients during different stages in the development of drug resistance. The population diversity was assessed by the number and frequencies of unfixed mutations in each sample.

Results

For each bacterial population, 8-41 unfixed mutations were monitored by the fraction of single-nucleotide polymorphisms at specific loci. Among them, as many as 4 to 5 resistance-conferring mutations were transiently detected in the same single

SUBMITTER: Sun G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3488197 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature