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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Preparation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Culture Filtrate to Understand TB Pathogenesis
Published on: March 28, 2025
The role of IS6110 in the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Christopher R E McEvoy1, Alecia A Falmer, Nicolaas C Gey van Pittius
1DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa. cmcevoy@sun.ac.za
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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