Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis strains isolated from humans, pigs, and human living environment

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 846 - 852
• Main Authors: Iwamoto, Tomotada, Nakajima, Chie, Nishiuchi, Yukiko, Kato, Tomoko, Yoshida, Shiomi, Nakanishi, Noriko, Tamaru, Aki, Tamura, Yutaka, Suzuki, Yasuhiko, Nasu, Masao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Alleles; Animals; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Chaperonin 60 - genetics; DNA, Bacterial; Genetic diversity; genetic relationships; Genetic Variation; Humans; Insertion sequence; loci; Minimum spanning tree; Minisatellite Repeats; Molecular epidemiology; Molecular Typing; Mycobacterium avium; Mycobacterium avium - classification; Mycobacterium avium - genetics; Mycobacterium avium - isolation & purification; Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis; Phylogeny; Phylogeography; Swine; Variable numbers of tandem repeat; France; Japan; Finland; Molecular epidemiology; Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis; Genetic diversity; Insertion sequence; Variable numbers of tandem repeat; Minimum spanning tree
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.06.018

► This study highlighted the geographical differences in the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) strains. ► We noted stark differences between human MAH isolates from Japan compared to those from France and Finland. ► We revealed the singularity of MAH isolates derived from Japanese humans and bathrooms and suggested a genetic similarity of them. ► Our data also suggested a relatively high genetic relatedness of Japanese pig isolates with French and Finnish isolates. ► The differences in individual VNTR loci variability was noted between the “host” groups (human/bathroom vs pig). Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) strains are genetically diverse and cause infections in pigs and humans. To elucidate the geographical and host-dependent variations in the genetic diversity of MAH, we performed variable numbers of tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis targeting 19 loci for MAH samples from humans (n=146), bathroom environments (n=37), and pigs (n=75) in Japan; these data were then compared with previously reported VNTR data from other countries. The minimum spanning tree (MST) and the multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) analyses based on the VNTR data indicated a high degree of genetic relatedness between isolates from humans and bathrooms in Japan, but a low degree of similarity with the isolates from France and Finland. Moreover, the comparison showed a higher similarity of isolates from Japanese pigs with those from French humans and pigs and Finnish humans and pigs than with other isolates from humans and bathrooms in Japan. The singularity of the Japanese MAH was characterized as the prevalence of hsp65 sequevar code 15 and ISMav6 for the human and bathroom isolates; however, none of the isolates obtained from the pigs belonged to the code 15 or possessed ISMav6. The genetic diversity of MAH and its regional variations imply a possible regional or local specific source of infection and route of transmission of MAH for humans.