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Transfer of embB codon 306 mutations into clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains alters susceptibility to ethambutol, isoniazid, and rifampin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2008; 52:2027-34. [PMID: 18378710 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01486-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Implicated as a major mechanism of ethambutol (EMB) resistance in clinical studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mutations in codon 306 of the embB gene (embB306) have also been detected in EMB-susceptible clinical isolates. Other studies have found strong associations between embB306 mutations and multidrug resistance, but not EMB resistance. We performed allelic exchange studies in EMB-susceptible and EMB-resistant clinical M. tuberculosis isolates to identify the role of embB306 mutations in any type of drug resistance. Replacing wild-type embB306 ATG from EMB-susceptible clinical M. tuberculosis strain 210 with embB306 ATA, ATC, CTG, or GTG increased the EMB MIC from 2 microg/ml to 7, 7, 8.5, and 14 microg/ml, respectively. Replacing embB306 ATC or GTG from two high-level EMB-resistant clinical strains with wild-type ATG lowered EMB MICs from 20 microg/ml or 28 microg/ml, respectively, to 3 microg/ml. All parental and isogenic mutant strains had identical isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (RIF) MICs. However, embB306 CTG mutants had growth advantages compared to strain 210 at sub-MICs of INH or RIF in monocultures and at sub-MICs of INH in competition assays. CTG mutants were also more resistant to the additive or synergistic activities of INH, RIF, or EMB used in different combinations. These results demonstrate that embB306 mutations cause an increase in the EMB MIC, a variable degree of EMB resistance, and are necessary but not sufficient for high-level EMB resistance. The unusual growth property of embB306 mutants in other antibiotics suggests that they may be amplified during treatment in humans and that a single mutation may affect antibiotic susceptibility against multiple first-line antibiotics.
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Menéndez MC, Buxton RS, Evans JT, Gascoyne-Binzi D, Barlow RE, Hinds J, Hawkey PM, Colston MJ. Genome analysis shows a common evolutionary origin for the dominant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a UK South Asian community. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2007; 87:426-36. [PMID: 17719277 PMCID: PMC2963927 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2007.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2006] [Revised: 04/27/2007] [Accepted: 05/03/2007] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated the Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain types present in the South Asian population of the UK, in which tuberculosis is particularly prevalent. In contrast to the widespread Beijing strains which have the variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) profile 42435, isolates with the VNTR profile 42235, jointly with 02335 or 42234 profiles, appear more frequently in tuberculosis patients of South Asian ethnic origin (SA-strains) in the UK than in any other ethnic group. Using microarray-based comparative genomics to distinguish total or partially deleted genes, we found that three of the common deleted regions in the SA-strains were identical to some deleted genes in the strain CH, which caused an outbreak among South Asian patients in Leicester in 2001 but were different from genomic deletions found in Beijing/W strains. Analysis of some of the deleted regions revealed differences in comparison to the strain CH including the polymorphism in some of the PE/PPE and Esat-6 genes, which may be responsible for the diversity of antigenic variation or differences in the activation of the host immune response. Interrupted genes or the replacement by insertion elements was confirmed in some of the deleted genomic regions. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the SA-strains may present common features, implying a common origin for this group of strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Carmen Menéndez
- Division of Mycobacterial Research, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Roger S. Buxton
- Division of Mycobacterial Research, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 20 8816 2225; fax: +44 20 8906 4477. (R.S. Buxton)
| | - Jason T. Evans
- Division of Immunity and Infection, University of Birmingham, The Medical School, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- Health Protection Agency – West Midlands Laboratory, Birmingham, Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham B9 5SS, UK
| | | | | | - Jason Hinds
- Bacterial Microarray Group, Division of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St. George's, University of London, Crammer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Peter M. Hawkey
- Division of Immunity and Infection, University of Birmingham, The Medical School, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- Health Protection Agency – West Midlands Laboratory, Birmingham, Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham B9 5SS, UK
| | - M. Joseph Colston
- Division of Mycobacterial Research, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
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McEvoy CRE, Falmer AA, Gey van Pittius NC, Victor TC, van Helden PD, Warren RM. The role of IS6110 in the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2007; 87:393-404. [PMID: 17627889 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2007.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2007] [Revised: 05/15/2007] [Accepted: 05/22/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex contain the transposable element IS6110 which, due to its high numerical and positional polymorphism, has become a widely used marker in epidemiological studies. Here, we review the evidence that IS6110 is not simply a passive or 'junk' DNA sequence, but that, through its transposable activity, it is able to generate genotypic variation that translates into strain-specific phenotypic variation. We also speculate on the role that this variation has played in the evolution of M. tuberculosis and conclude that the presence of a moderate IS6110 copy number within the genome may provide the pathogen with a selective advantage that has aided its virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R E McEvoy
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa.
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54
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Abstract
Tuberculosis continues to be the main cause of death from a single infectious agent in developing countries. The causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is thought to have diverged from its common ancestor as recently as 15,000 years ago. Subsequently, various genetic elements have evolved over time at different rates and can be used to elucidate patterns of infection. When individual elements are studied within genetic families, very low rates of variation are observed for almost every marker. For example, when all M. tuberculosis genetic families are considered, the number of alleles observed at each mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit (MIRU) locus usually drops when viewed within a single genetic family, indicating that the rate of repeat variation may be low, as each member of that family is a descendant of a single common ancestor. Also, the low level of silent nucleotide variation observed indicates that M. tuberculosis is, in evolutionary terms, very young. Mapping the variation of the different markers used in molecular epidemiology within a genetic framework enables the relative rates of variation of these markers to be determined and, together with a complete chronology, allows the identification of more informative panels of markers tailored to individual genetic families.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Arnold
- Applied and Functional Genomics, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, London, UK.
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55
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Vera-Cabrera L, Molina-Torres CA, Hernández-Vera MA, Barrios-García HB, Blackwood K, Villareal-Treviño L, Ocampo-Candiani J, Welsh O, Castro-Garza J. Genetic characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates with deletions in the plcA–plcB–plcC locus. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2007; 87:21-9. [PMID: 16704934 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2006.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2005] [Revised: 01/21/2006] [Accepted: 01/31/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
SETTING The basis for Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence is not completely understood. Analysis of the genomic structure of clinical isolates will give information that can be related to biological activities involved in virulence. OBJECTIVE To determine the extension of the deletion in the plcA-plcB-plcC locus of selected M. tuberculosis isolates, as well as other changes in the chromosome. DESIGN In the present work we characterized a group of M. tuberculosis isolates devoid of the plcA-plcB-plcC locus by PCR, sequencing and microarrays. RESULTS PCR amplification of this region demonstrated a complete lack of plcA and plcB ORF's in all of the isolates. The plcC gene was completely deleted in one of the strains (DR-689) and the other three isolates still conserved part of this ORF. The loss of lateral DNA sequences ranged from 3723 to 7646bp. An IS6110 element was present in all tested strains cases, and some isolates presented the insertion of ORF's coding for proteins homologous to the ESAT-6 and QILSS families. Genomic DNA of all the strains was extracted and analyzed with an in-house microarray system to observe loss of other genes possibly implicated in attenuated virulence. Two of the strains presented novel deletions; the rest of the isolates showed deletions already reported for other M. tuberculosis strains. DR-689, a Beijing type M. tuberculosis strain isolated in Canada, showed an IS6110 RFLP and a genomic deletion pattern similar to a San Francisco family of strains, although completely unrelated epidemiologically. CONCLUSION Genomic changes in M. tuberculosis seem to occur in a controlled manner and they are possibly related to changes in its pathogenic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucio Vera-Cabrera
- Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario José E. González, Madero y Gonzálitos, Col. Mitras Centro, Monterrey, N.L., México.
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56
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Mathema B, Kurepina NE, Bifani PJ, Kreiswirth BN. Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis: current insights. Clin Microbiol Rev 2006; 19:658-85. [PMID: 17041139 PMCID: PMC1592690 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00061-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular epidemiologic studies of tuberculosis (TB) have focused largely on utilizing molecular techniques to address short- and long-term epidemiologic questions, such as in outbreak investigations and in assessing the global dissemination of strains, respectively. This is done primarily by examining the extent of genetic diversity of clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When molecular methods are used in conjunction with classical epidemiology, their utility for TB control has been realized. For instance, molecular epidemiologic studies have added much-needed accuracy and precision in describing transmission dynamics, and they have facilitated investigation of previously unresolved issues, such as estimates of recent-versus-reactive disease and the extent of exogenous reinfection. In addition, there is mounting evidence to suggest that specific strains of M. tuberculosis belonging to discrete phylogenetic clusters (lineages) may differ in virulence, pathogenesis, and epidemiologic characteristics, all of which may significantly impact TB control and vaccine development strategies. Here, we review the current methods, concepts, and applications of molecular approaches used to better understand the epidemiology of TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barun Mathema
- Tuberculosis Center, Public Health Research Institute, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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Namouchi A, Mardassi H. A genomic library-based amplification approach (GL-PCR) for the mapping of multiple IS6110 insertion sites and strain differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Microbiol Methods 2006; 67:202-11. [PMID: 16725220 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2006.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2005] [Revised: 02/09/2006] [Accepted: 03/09/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that insertion of the IS6110 element is not without consequence to the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains. Thus, mapping of multiple IS6110 insertion sites in the genome of biomedically relevant clinical isolates would result in a better understanding of the role of this mobile element, particularly with regard to transmission, adaptability and virulence. In the present paper, we describe a versatile strategy, referred to as GL-PCR, that amplifies IS6110-flanking sequences based on the construction of a genomic library. M. tuberculosis chromosomal DNA is fully digested with HincII and then ligated into a plasmid vector between T7 and T3 promoter sequences. The ligation reaction product is transformed into Escherichia coli and selective PCR amplification targeting both 5' and 3' IS6110-flanking sequences are performed on the plasmid library DNA. For this purpose, four separate PCR reactions are performed, each combining an outward primer specific for one IS6110 end with either T7 or T3 primer. Determination of the nucleotide sequence of the PCR products generated from a single ligation reaction allowed mapping of 21 out of the 24 IS6110 copies of two 12 banded M. tuberculosis strains, yielding an overall sensitivity of 87,5%. Furthermore, by simply comparing the migration pattern of GL-PCR-generated products, the strategy proved to be as valuable as IS6110 RFLP for molecular typing of M. tuberculosis complex strains. Importantly, GL-PCR was able to discriminate between strains differing by a single IS6110 band.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Namouchi
- Laboratory of Mycobacteria, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13, Place Pasteur, BP 74, 1002, Tunis-Belvedre, Tunisie, Tunisia
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Freeman R, Kato-Maeda M, Hauge KA, Horan KL, Oren E, Narita M, Wallis CK, Cave D, Nolan CM, Small PM, Cangelosi GA. Use of rapid genomic deletion typing to monitor a tuberculosis outbreak within an urban homeless population. J Clin Microbiol 2005; 43:5550-4. [PMID: 16272485 PMCID: PMC1287805 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.43.11.5550-5554.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Beginning in mid-2002, a large tuberculosis outbreak occurred among homeless persons in King County, Washington. In order to further monitor the outbreak following its peak in 2003, Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from all new King County tuberculosis (TB) patients in 2004 and the first half of 2005 (n = 220) were genotyped by using a rapid comparative genomics-based (genomic deletion-typing) approach, with confirmation by mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units and repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR). Results were compared to retrospective genotypic data from 1995 to 2003. The outbreak strain SBRI9, which was not seen among King County homeless persons prior to 2002, accounted for 16 out of 30 TB cases (53%) within this population in 2002. This trend continued with 27 out of 35 cases (77%) caused by the outbreak strain in 2003, 11 out of 13 cases (85%) caused by the outbreak strain in 2004, and 4 out of 10 cases (40%) caused by the outbreak strain in the first 5 months of 2005. Thus, the outbreak strain remained well established within this homeless population throughout the study period. At least four SBRI9 cases were in people who had previously been infected by other strains. The novel PCR-based strain-typing approach used in this investigation proved to be cost-effective and very rapid. In most cases, it was possible to analyze DNA extracted directly from primary isolation (Mycobacterium growth indicator tube) cultures submitted by clinical laboratories, a feature that markedly reduced the delay between diagnosis and strain typing results. This rapid turnaround facilitated public health efforts to prevent new outbreaks involving this strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Freeman
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 307 Westlake Avenue N, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98107-5219, USA
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Yesilkaya H, Dale JW, Strachan NJC, Forbes KJ. Natural transposon mutagenesis of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: how many genes does a pathogen need? J Bacteriol 2005; 187:6726-32. [PMID: 16166535 PMCID: PMC1251597 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.19.6726-6732.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements can affect an organism's fitness through the insertional inactivation of genes and can therefore be used to identify genes that are nonessential for growth in vitro or in animal models. However, these models may not adequately represent the genetic requirements during chains of human infection. We have therefore conducted a genome-wide survey of transposon mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from cases of human infection, identifying the precise, base-specific insertion sites of the naturally occurring transposable element IS6110. Of 294 distinct insertions mapped to the strain H37Rv genome, 180 were intragenic, affecting 100 open reading frames. The number of genes carrying IS6110 in clinical isolates, and hence apparently not essential for infection and transmission, is very much lower than the estimates of nonessential genes derived from in vitro studies. This suggests that most genes in M. tuberculosis play a significant role in human infection chains. IS6110 insertions were underrepresented in genes associated with virulence, information pathways, lipid metabolism, and membrane proteins but overrepresented in multicopy genes of the PPE family, genes of unknown function, and intergenic sequences. Population genomic analysis of isolates recovered from an organism's natural habitat is an important tool for determining the significance of genes or classes of genes in the natural biology of an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Yesilkaya
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aberdeen, Medical School Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom
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60
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Yang Z, Yang D, Kong Y, Zhang L, Marrs CF, Foxman B, Bates JH, Wilson F, Cave MD. Clinical relevance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis plcD gene mutations. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005; 171:1436-42. [PMID: 15805187 PMCID: PMC2718484 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200408-1147oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence factors, we integrated comparative genomics and epidemiologic data analysis to investigate the relationship between certain genomic insertions and deletions in the phospholipase-C gene D (plcD) with the clinical presentation of tuberculosis (TB). Four hundred ninety-six well-characterized M. tuberculosis clinical isolates were studied. Approximately 30% (147) of the isolates had an interruption of the plcD gene. Patients infected with the plcD mutant were twice as likely to have extrathoracic disease as those infected by a strain without an interruption (adjusted odds ratio, 2.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.27, 3.76). When we limited the analysis to the 275 isolates with distinct DNA fingerprint patterns, we observed the same association (adjusted odds ratio, 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.35, 5.56). Furthermore, the magnitude of the association appeared to differ with the type of extrathoracic TB. Our findings suggest that the plcD gene of M. tuberculosis is potentially involved in the pathogenesis of TB, and the clinical presentation of the disease may be influenced by the genetic variability of the plcD region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhua Yang
- Epidemiology Department, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 109 S. Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA.
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61
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Abstract
Many genomic sequences have been recently published for bacteria that can replicate only within eukaryotic hosts. Comparisons of genomic features with those of closely related bacteria retaining free-living stages indicate that rapid evolutionary change often occurs immediately after host restriction. Typical changes include a large increase in the frequency of mobile elements in the genome, chromosomal rearrangements mediated by recombination among these elements, pseudogene formation, and deletions of varying size. In anciently host-restricted lineages, the frequency of insertion sequence elements decreases as genomes become extremely small and strictly clonal. These changes represent a general syndrome of genome evolution, which is observed repeatedly in host-restricted lineages from numerous phylogenetic groups. Considerable variation also exists, however, in part reflecting unstudied aspects of the population structure and ecology of host-restricted bacterial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A Moran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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Tanaka MM. Evidence for positive selection on Mycobacterium tuberculosis within patients. BMC Evol Biol 2004; 4:31. [PMID: 15355550 PMCID: PMC518962 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-4-31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2004] [Accepted: 09/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the pathogenesis and epidemiology of tuberculosis are well studied, relatively little is known about the evolution of the infectious agent Mycobacterium tuberculosis, especially at the within-host level. The insertion sequence IS6110 is a genetic marker that is widely used to track the transmission of tuberculosis between individuals. This and other markers may also facilitate our understanding of the disease within patients. RESULTS This article presents three lines of evidence supporting the action of positive selection on M. tuberculosis within patients. The arguments are based on a comparison between empirical findings from molecular epidemiology, and population genetic models of evolution. Under the hypothesis of neutrality of genotypes, 1) the mutation rate of the marker IS6110 is unusually high, 2) the time it takes for substitutions to occur within patients is too short, and 3) the amount of polymorphism within patients is too low. CONCLUSIONS Empirical observations are explained by the action of positive selection during infection, or alternatively by very low effective population sizes. I discuss the possible roles of antibiotic treatment, the host immune system and extrapulmonary dissemination in creating opportunities for positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M Tanaka
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia.
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