Abstract
Recent multi locus sequence typing (MLST) and genome based studies indicate that lateral gene transfer (LGT) events in the rpoB gene are prevalent between Mycobacterium abscessus complex strains. To check the prevalence of the M. massiliense strains subject to rpoB LGT (Rec-mas), we applied rpoB typing (711 bp) to 106 Korean strains of M. massiliense infection that had already been identified by hsp65 sequence analysis (603 bp). The analysis indicated 6 smooth strains in M. massiliense Type I (10.0%, 6/60) genotypes but no strains in M. massiliense Type II genotypes (0%, 0/46), showing a discrepancy between the 2 typing methods. Further MLST analysis based on the partial sequencing of seven housekeeping genes, argH, cya, glpK, gnd, murC, pta and purH, as well as erm(41) PCR proved that these 6 Rec-mas strains consisted of two distinct genotypes belonging to M. massiliense and not M. abscessus. The complete rpoB sequencing analysis showed that these 6 Rec-mas strains have an identical hybrid rpoB gene, of which a 478 bp partial rpoB fragment may be laterally transferred from M. abscessus. Notably, five of the 6 Rec-mas strains showed complete identical sequences in a total of nine genes, including the seven MLST genes, hsp65, and rpoB, suggesting their clonal propagation in South Korea. In conclusion, we identified 6 M. massiliense smooth strains of 2 phylogenetically distinct genotypes with a specific hybrid rpoB gene laterally transferred from M. abscessus from Korean patients. Their clinical relevance and bacteriological traits remain to be elucidated.
Highlights
Growing mycobacteria (RGM) are ubiquitous organisms that have gained increasing attention as important human pathogens
The 711 bp rpoB sequence-based phylogenetic analysis indicated that 6 (5.7%, 6/106) and 100 strains (94.3%, 100/106) among 106 M. abscessus complex strains belonged to M. abscessus and M. massiliense, respectively, which had previously been identified as M. massiliense by 603 bp hsp65 sequencing analysis (Table 1)
For the exact species delineation of the 6 recombinant strains of M. massiliense (Rec-mas) strains, further multi locus sequence typing (MLST) analyses based on the partial sequencing of seven housekeeping genes: argH, cya, glpK, gnd, murC, pta and purH, which had been previously applied to M. abscessus strains for the elucidation of recombination events [25], were performed in this study
Summary
Growing mycobacteria (RGM) are ubiquitous organisms that have gained increasing attention as important human pathogens. RpoB recombinant M. massiliense and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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