Genetic features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis modern Beijing sublineage.

ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) Beijing strains have caused a great concern because of their rapid emergence and increasing prevalence in worldwide regions. Great efforts have been made to investigate the pathogenic characteristics of Beijing strains such as hypervirulence, drug resistance and favoring transmission. Phylogenetically, MTB Beijing family was divided into modern and ancient sublineages. Modern Beijing strains displayed enhanced virulence and higher prevalence when compared with ancient Beijing strains, but the genetic basis for this difference remains unclear. In this study, by analyzing previously published sequencing data of 1082 MTB Beijing isolates, we determined the genetic changes that were commonly present in modern Beijing strains but absent in ancient Beijing strain

SUBMITTER: Liu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4777927 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature