Update on the virulence factors of the obligate pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 72; pp. 67 - 77
• Main Authors: Madacki, Jan, Mas Fiol, Guillem, Brosch, Roland
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.08.2019; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Bacteriology; Biological Evolution; Cell Behavior; Cell Wall - metabolism; Cell Wall - microbiology; Cellular Biology; ESX; Genetics; Host Microbial Interactions; Human genetics; Human health and pathology; Humans; Infectious diseases; Life Sciences; Microbiology and Parasitology; Mycobacterium - genetics; Mycobacterium - immunology; Mycobacterium - pathogenicity; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - genetics; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - pathogenicity; Pulmonology and respiratory tract; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - microbiology; Type VII Secretion Systems - genetics; Type VII Secretion Systems - metabolism; Virulence Factors - genetics; Virulence Factors - metabolism; virulence lipids; virulence type VII secretion; Tuberculosis; virulence type VII secretion; ESX; virulence lipids
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.12.013

Over the long course of evolution from a probable environmental reservoir, the pathogen that we know today as Mycobacterium tuberculosis has become fully capable of adapting to the life inside host cells by evading and modifying their responses to infection. Factors contributing to the success of this pathogen are numerous and thanks to a large body of work accumulated over the past decades, we are closer to understanding the remarkable complexity of tuberculosis pathogenesis. The unique type VII secretion systems and various complex lipids of the cell envelope have emerged as some of the most important and most studied factors in this regard. This review attempts to summarize recent findings on these and other virulence factors, while discussing their evolution in different closely related tuberculosis-causing bacteria as well, with the aim of exploring the processes which led M. tuberculosis to becoming one of the deadliest infections agents. •Globally identified mycobacterial virulence factors discussed.•Phagosomal-rupture-mediated cytosolic pattern recognition increases innate signaling.•Virulence lipids summarized and broad function discussed.•Evolutionary aspects of virulence gene recovery discussed.