Understanding the Evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis through Gene Transfer
Author Information
Author(s): Veyrier Frédéric, Pletzer Daniel, Turenne Christine, Behr Marcel A
Primary Institution: McGill University
Hypothesis
Comparisons of all available mycobacterial genome sequences will reveal the degree to which horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has contributed to the evolution of pathogenic mycobacteria.
Conclusion
M. tuberculosis emerged through vertical inheritance along with the step-wise addition of genes acquired via HGT events.
Supporting Evidence
- 137 genes were predicted to have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) at different phylogenetic strata.
- Evidence of HGT was corroborated by the presence of phage or plasmid and an aberrant GC%.
- About 11-14% of the M. tuberculosis genome was assigned as potential HGT.
Takeaway
Scientists studied the genes of 16 types of bacteria to see how M. tuberculosis became a disease-causing germ by borrowing genes from other bacteria.
Methodology
The study used multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) of 20 housekeeping genes and alignment searches of proteins from M. tuberculosis against other mycobacterial genomes to detect HGT.
Limitations
The study did not include M. leprae due to its genome's characteristics leading to errors in categorization.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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