The role of IS6110 in the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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• 作者：Christopher R.E. McEvoy ; Alecia A. Falmer ; Nicolaas C. Gey van Pittius ; Thomas C. Victor ; Paul D. van Helden ; Robin M. Warren
• 关键词：Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; IS6110 ; Transposon ; Evolution
• 刊名：Tuberculosis
• 出版年：2007
• 出版时间：September 2007
• 年：2007
• 卷：87
• 期：5
• 页码：393-404
• 全文大小：474 K

文摘

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.