Convergent Evolution in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Author Information
Author(s): Fenner Lukas, Malla Bijaya, Ninet Béatrice, Dubuis Olivier, Stucki David, Borrell Sonia, Huna Thembela, Bodmer Thomas, Egger Matthias, Gagneux Sebastien
Primary Institution: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Hypothesis
Can strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with a Beijing spoligotype be misclassified based on alternative genotyping techniques?
Conclusion
The study shows that some strains previously classified as 'Beijing' may actually belong to a different lineage, highlighting the limitations of spoligotyping for strain classification.
Supporting Evidence
- Three strains with a Beijing spoligotype were found to belong to Lineage 3 instead of Lineage 2.
- The deletion responsible for the 'Pseudo-Beijing' spoligotype was about 1,000 base pairs smaller than in classical 'Beijing' strains.
- Phylogenetic analyses showed that the strains had independent evolutionary paths.
Takeaway
Some bacteria that look the same might actually be different. This study found that some 'Beijing' bacteria are not what they seem.
Methodology
The study used SNPs, genomic deletions, and MIRU-VNTR analyses to classify Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains.
Limitations
The study's findings may not reflect the global diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains.
Participant Demographics
Patients from Switzerland and Nepal, including individuals from Tibet and Portugal.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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