Science and Research

Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 4 comprises globally distributed and geographically restricted sublineages

Generalist and specialist species differ in the breadth of their ecological niches. Little is known about the niche width of obligate human pathogens. Here we analyzed a global collection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 4 clinical isolates, the most geographically widespread cause of human tuberculosis. We show that lineage 4 comprises globally distributed and geographically restricted sublineages, suggesting a distinction between generalists and specialists. Population genomic analyses showed that, whereas the majority of human T cell epitopes were conserved in all sublineages, the proportion of variable epitopes was higher in generalists. Our data further support a European origin for the most common generalist sublineage. Hence, the global success of lineage 4 reflects distinct strategies adopted by different sublineages and the influence of human migration.

  • Stucki, D.
  • Brites, D.
  • Jeljeli, L.
  • Coscolla, M.
  • Liu, Q.
  • Trauner, A.
  • Fenner, L.
  • Rutaihwa, L.
  • Borrell, S.
  • Luo, T.
  • Gao, Q.
  • Kato-Maeda, M.
  • Ballif, M.
  • Egger, M.
  • Macedo, R.
  • Mardassi, H.
  • Moreno, M.
  • Tudo Vilanova, G.
  • Fyfe, J.
  • Globan, M.
  • Thomas, J.
  • Jamieson, F.
  • Guthrie, J. L.
  • Asante-Poku, A.
  • Yeboah-Manu, D.
  • Wampande, E.
  • Ssengooba, W.
  • Joloba, M.
  • Henry Boom, W.
  • Basu, I.
  • Bower, J.
  • Saraiva, M.
  • Vaconcellos, S. E. G.
  • Suffys, P.
  • Koch, A.
  • Wilkinson, R.
  • Gail-Bekker, L.
  • Malla, B.
  • Ley, S. D.
  • Beck, H. P.
  • de Jong, B. C.
  • Toit, K.
  • Sanchez-Padilla, E.
  • Bonnet, M.
  • Gil-Brusola, A.
  • Frank, M.
  • Penlap Beng, V. N.
  • Eisenach, K.
  • Alani, I.
  • Wangui Ndung'u, P.
  • Revathi, G.
  • Gehre, F.
  • Akter, S.
  • Ntoumi, F.
  • Stewart-Isherwood, L.
  • Ntinginya, N. E.
  • Rachow, A.
  • Hoelscher, M.
  • Cirillo, D. M.
  • Skenders, G.
  • Hoffner, S.
  • Bakonyte, D.
  • Stakenas, P.
  • Diel, R.
  • Crudu, V.
  • Moldovan, O.
  • Al-Hajoj, S.
  • Otero, L.
  • Barletta, F.
  • Jane Carter, E.
  • Diero, L.
  • Supply, P.
  • Comas, I.
  • Niemann, S.
  • Gagneux, S.

Keywords

  • DNA, Bacterial/*analysis
  • Genomics/*methods
  • Genotype
  • Global Health
  • Humans
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis/*classification/*genetics/isolation & purification
  • Phylogeography
  • Polymorphism, Genetic/*genetics
  • Tuberculosis/genetics/*microbiology
Publication details
DOI: 10.1038/ng.3704
Journal: Nature genetics
Pages: 1535-1543 
Number: 12
Work Type: Original
Location: ARCN
Disease Area: General Lung and Other
Partner / Member: UKSH (Kiel)
Access-Number: 27798628
See publication on PubMed

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