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Complex genetics of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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Three new studies have used whole-genome sequencing of M. tuberculosis to demonstrate unexpected complexity in the modern evolution of drug-resistant tuberculosis, and a fourth study suggests a close evolutionary relationship between the pathogen and its human host over a period of 70,000 years. Collectively, the observations in these studies suggest that future strategies to tackle drug-resistant tuberculosis must integrate host genetics with detailed strain epidemiology.

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Figure 1: A timescale for the evolution of M. tuberculosis with its human host and the emergence of drug resistance.

Katie Vicari

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Council (MRC)–National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS)–University of Cape Town Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit and Department of Science and Technology (DST)–National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, and the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Digby F Warner & Valerie Mizrahi

Authors
  1. Digby F Warner
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  2. Valerie Mizrahi
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Correspondence to Valerie Mizrahi.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Warner, D., Mizrahi, V. Complex genetics of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat Genet 45, 1107–1108 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2769

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