Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roger Vargas Jr, Michael J. Luna, Luca Freschi, Maximillian Marin, Ruby Froom, Kenan C. Murphy, Elizabeth A. Campbell, Thomas R. Ioerger, Christopher M. Sassetti, Maha Reda Farhat
Summary: This study investigates the role of insertions and deletions (INDELs) in genomic homopolymeric tracts (HT) in regulating gene expression in pathogenic bacteria, specifically within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Through analysis of 31,428 clinical isolates, the researchers identified phase-variants of INDEL events that are under positive selection. Further experiments confirmed that a putatively adaptive phase-variant in the ESX-1 system alters the expression of the critical virulence mediator, espA.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Saniya Patil, Aseem Palande, Tejan Lodhiya, Awadhesh Pandit, Raju Mukherjee
Summary: Sequencing transposon mutant libraries have been crucial in identifying essential and non-essential genes in bacteria, particularly important for Mycobacterium tuberculosis with many unknown functions in its genome. Fluctuations in insertion frequencies across different genes were observed during growth in nutrient-replete conditions, indicating novel modes of adaptation by mutants. The study also revealed changes in essentiality status of genetic features, providing new insights into bacterial adaptation mechanisms.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Charlotte Genestet, Guislaine Refregier, Elisabeth Hodille, Rima Zein-Eddine, Adrien Le Meur, Fiona Hak, Alexia Barbry, Emilie Westeel, Jean-Luc Berland, Astrid Engelmann, Isabelle Verdier, Gerard Lina, Florence Ader, Stephane Dray, Laurent Jacob, Francois Massol, Samuel Venner, Oana Dumitrescu
Summary: This study found that the genetic features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates were associated with tuberculosis severity. Patients with moderate/severe tuberculosis carried mutations in genes associated with regulatory mechanisms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of tuberculosis and provide a new approach to predict pulmonary tuberculosis severity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Paula Josefina Gomez-Gonzalez, Anna D. Grabowska, Leopold D. Tientcheu, Anthony G. Tsolaki, Martin L. Hibberd, Susana Campino, Jody E. Phelan, Taane G. Clark
Summary: This study investigated the genetic diversity of the mat genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and found that these genes are highly conserved among different strains, although some variations were observed. Understanding the diversity and conservation of the mat genes can provide insights into the genetic pathogenesis of tuberculosis and contribute to the development of new strategies for tuberculosis control.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Michelle C. Sabo, Nguyen T. T. Thuong, Xuling Chang, Edwin Ardiansyah, Trinh T. B. Tram, Hoang T. Hai, Ho D. T. Nghia, Nguyen D. Bang, Sofiati Dian, A. Rizal Ganiem, Shima Shaporifar, Vinod Kumar, Zheng Li, Martin Hibberd, Chiea Chuen Khor, Guy E. Thwaites, Dorothee Heemskerk, Arjan van Laarhoven, Reinout van Crevel, Sarah J. Dunstan, Javeed A. Shah
Summary: This study reveals an association between a polymorphism in MUC5AC gene and susceptibility to and mortality from tuberculous meningitis. MUC5AC variants may affect immune response and thus influence the outcomes of tuberculous meningitis.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hilina Mollalign, Muluwork Getahun, Getu Diriba, Ayinalem Alemu, Dawit Chala, Begna Tulu, Gobena Ameni
Summary: This study aimed to characterize the lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex causing childhood pulmonary tuberculosis and evaluate drug sensitivity patterns. The majority of isolates belonged to the Euro-American lineage, and drug resistance was low. A large-scale prospective study is recommended to fully understand the molecular epidemiology of MTBC lineages in children.
Article
Immunology
Carmen A. Molina-Torres, Frederick D. Quinn, Jorge Castro-Garza, Anaximandro Gomez-Velasco, Jorge Ocampo-Candiani, Alied Bencomo-Alerm, Hector Javier Sanchez-Perez, Sergio Munoz-Jimenez, Adrian Rendon, Afzal Ansari, Mukul Sharma, Pushpendra Singh, Lucio Vera-Cabrera
Summary: This study reports the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates in a Mexican-Amerindian setting, showing the dominance of sub-lineage 4.8 in Mexico and sub-lineage 4.3.3 in Central and South America. The findings highlight the importance of sub-lineage characterization for understanding the distribution and transmission of tuberculosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Cheldon Ann Alcantara, Ira Glassman, Kevin H. Nguyen, Arpitha Parthasarathy, Vishwanath Venketaraman
Summary: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) remains a major cause of death in developing countries. The BCG vaccine is widely used in developing countries but its efficacy is still uncertain. Neutrophils play a crucial role in the immune response against M. tb, promoting clearance of the bacteria and regulating the inflammatory response. This review highlights the role of neutrophils during M. tb infection and emphasizes the need for more research on effective vaccination.
Review
Respiratory System
James M. Trauer, Andrew Kawai, Anna K. Coussens, Manjula Datta, Bridget M. Williams, Emma S. McBryde, Romain Ragonnet
Summary: The efficacy of BCG vaccination varies in different settings, with significant protection seen in trials involving neonates and children under 5, but less conclusive protection in high-burden settings with longer follow-up periods.
Article
Microbiology
Zexuan Song, Chunfa Liu, Wencong He, Shaojun Pei, Dongxin Liu, Xiaolong Cao, Yiting Wang, Ping He, Bing Zhao, Xichao Ou, Hui Xia, Shengfen Wang, Yanlin Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the drug-resistant profile, compensatory mutations, and genetic variations among MDR-TB isolates in China. The results showed a high rate of fluoroquinolone resistance and a low proportion of resistance to other drugs. The majority of MDR-TB isolates belonged to Lineage 2.2.1, and clustered isolates outperformed non-clustered isolates in terms of transmission. Compensatory mutations were more frequent in clusters, and single nucleotide polymorphism mutations were the main variants in resistance-associated genes.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sanghee Park, Jihee Jung, Jiyeon Kim, Sang Bong Han, Sungweon Ryoo
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the resistance and genetic mutations of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (DR-Mtb) isolates to clofazimine (CFZ), in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) patients. The results showed that the rate of CFZ resistance in drug-resistant Mtb isolates was 4.1%, and it was not related to treatment with CFZ or bedaquiline. Four novel mutation sites related to CFZ resistance were identified in this study.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Haiko Schurz, Brigitte Glanzmann, Nicholas Bowker, Ronald van Toorn, Regan Solomons, Johan Schoeman, Paul D. van Helden, Craig J. Kinnear, Eileen G. Hoal, Marlo Moeller
Summary: This study investigated the involvement of the host genome in susceptibility to tuberculous meningitis (TBM) using genotyping and sequencing methods. The results suggest that genes NOD2 and CYP4F2 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of TBM, while Centriolar Coiled-Coil Protein 110 (CCP110) may be associated with susceptibility to TBM.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Evan P. Brenner, Srinand Sreevatsan
Summary: By whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of MBO Ravenel and MBO 10-7428, it was found that there were 3 modified T cell epitopes in Ravenel, while all the epitopes in 10-7428 remained wild type. These modifications were predicted to have little effect on protein stability, but supported the attenuated virulence of Ravenel. The affected genes may provide clues on basic pathogenesis and could be feasible targets for reverse vaccinology.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Rahim Rajwani, Chala Galata, Annie Wing Tung Lee, Pui-Kin So, Kenneth Siu Sing Leung, Kingsley King Gee Tam, Sheeba Shehzad, Timothy Ting Leung Ng, Li Zhu, Hiu Yin Lao, Chloe Toi-Mei Chan, Jake Siu-Lun Leung, Lam-Kwong Lee, Kin Chung Wong, Wing Cheong Yam, Gilman Kit-Hang Siu
Summary: This study validated the impact of hypervirulent-specific mutations on the dysregulation of gene networks associated with virulence in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) through multi-omics analysis. The results provide new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of severe tuberculosis diseases such as tuberculous meningitis.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lv Ji, Feng-Xi Tao, Yun-Fang Yu, Jian-Hua Liu, Feng-Hua Yu, Chun-Lin Bai, Zheng-Yang Wan, Xiao-Bo Yang, Jing Ma, Pan Zhou, Zhao Niu, Ping Zhou, Hong Xiang, Ming Chen, Zhou Xiang, Fang-Qiong Zhang, Qi Jiang, Xiao-Jun Liu
Summary: The burden of tuberculosis, both general and drug-resistant, is higher in rural areas than in urban areas in China. This study used whole genome sequencing to analyze the genetic structure and transmission risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in rural China. The study found that drug resistance, especially to the second-line drug fluoroquinolones, is relatively serious in rural areas. It also highlighted the need for strengthened rapid diagnosis and treatment management at the primary care level to address the high transmission risk of tuberculosis.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)