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Microbial Genomics logo Microbial Genomics

Volume 11, Issue 11

Population structure of subsp. provides new insights into genomic evolution Open Access

Abstract

subsp. (MAH) is a clinically important species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria that causes infections in a variety of hosts. This opportunistic pathogen is widespread in the environment, including natural and engineered water systems across the globe. To examine the current genetic diversity of this organism, we analysed 702 MAH genomes isolated from humans, pigs and environmental sources across six countries and three continents. Through Bayesian population structure analysis, we identified ten distinct global lineages, including seven previously described and three new ones. Several lineages exhibited regional clustering, including sequence cluster 6 (SC6) in Germany and SC8 in both the USA and Germany. Further analysis identified recombination hotspots in membrane proteins associated with virulence, antimicrobial resistance and immune modulation, driven by insertion sequences and other elements that frequently integrate at tRNA gene sites. This work demonstrates the remarkable genomic diversity of MAH and provides insight into the evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to its success as a pathogen in both humans and animals.

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  • Accepted:
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Keyword(s): genetic recombination , genomics , Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) , One Health , phylogenetics and population structure
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
    • Principal Award Recipient: IdowuB Olawoye
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    • Principal Award Recipient: JenniferL Guthrie
  • Canada Research Chairs
    • Principal Award Recipient: JenniferL Guthrie
© 2025 The Authors
  • This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. This article was made open access via a Publish and Read agreement between the Microbiology Society and the corresponding author’s institution.
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2025-11-04
2025-11-07

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Population structure of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis provides new insights into genomic evolution
M Gen 11, 001543 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.001543
/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001543
/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001543
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