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Updated: May 8, 2026
08:34
Identification of Virulence Markers of Mycobacterium abscessus for Intracellular Replication in Phagocytes
Published on: September 27, 2018
Comparative phylogenomics of pathogenic and non-pathogenic mycobacterium
Arun N Prasanna1, Sarika Mehra
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, India.
Plos One
|September 10, 2013
Summary
Genome-based methods offer superior resolution for Mycobacterium species evolution compared to traditional 16S sequencing. Gene order analysis reveals unique evolutionary paths, essential for robust phylogenetic insights.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Mycobacterium species cause diverse infectious diseases across various hosts.
- Understanding pathogen adaptation to specific niches is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare pathogenic and non-pathogenic Mycobacterium genomes.
- To evaluate genome-based phylogenetic methods against conventional approaches.
Main Methods:
- Construction of phylogenetic trees using core orthologs, gene content, and gene order.
- Comparative genomics and synteny analysis of Mycobacterium genomes.
Main Results:
- Genome-based methods provide better resolution of inter-species evolutionary distances than 16S rRNA gene trees.
- Phylogeny based on gene order reveals distinct evolutionary patterns, notably altering the position of Mycobacterium abscessus.
- Synteny analysis shows both local and global genomic rearrangements among Mycobacterium species.
Conclusions:
- Genome-based phylogenetic analyses, particularly incorporating gene order, offer a more robust understanding of evolutionary relationships in Mycobacterium.
- A combination of diverse genomic methods is essential for accurately resolving phylogenetic relationships among closely related species.
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