Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
The Honors College, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
G3 (Bethesda). 2022 Aug 25;12(9). doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac188.
Mycobacterium abscessus is an emerging pathogen of concern in cystic fibrosis and immunocompromised patients and is considered one of the most drug-resistant mycobacteria. The majority of clinical Mycobacterium abscessus isolates carry 1 or more prophages that are hypothesized to contribute to virulence and bacterial fitness. The prophage McProf was identified in the genome of the Bergey strain of Mycobacterium chelonae and is distinct from previously described prophages of Mycobacterium abscessus. The McProf genome increases intrinsic antibiotic resistance of Mycobacterium chelonae and drives expression of the intrinsic antibiotic resistance gene, whiB7, when superinfected by a second phage. The prevalence of McProf-like genomes was determined in sequenced mycobacterial genomes. Related prophage genomes were identified in the genomes of 25 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium abscessus and assigned to the novel cluster, MabR. They share less than 10% gene content with previously described prophages; however, they share features typical of prophages, including polymorphic toxin-immunity systems.
脓肿分枝杆菌是囊性纤维化和免疫功能低下患者中一种新兴的病原体，被认为是最具耐药性的分枝杆菌之一。大多数临床脓肿分枝杆菌分离株携带 1 个或多个噬菌体，这些噬菌体被认为有助于毒力和细菌适应性。McProf 噬菌体最初在分枝杆菌属龟亚种的伯格氏菌株基因组中被发现，与之前描述的脓肿分枝杆菌噬菌体不同。McProf 基因组增加了分枝杆菌属龟亚种的固有抗生素耐药性，并在被第二种噬菌体超感染时驱动固有抗生素耐药基因 whiB7 的表达。在测序分枝杆菌基因组中确定了 McProf 样基因组的流行率。在 25 株临床分离的脓肿分枝杆菌基因组中鉴定到相关的噬菌体基因组，并被分配到新的聚类，MabR。它们与以前描述的噬菌体的基因内容相似度不到 10%；然而，它们具有噬菌体的典型特征，包括多态性毒素-免疫系统。
