title: Identification and comparative analysis of a genomic island in Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis.
abstract: Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) is an environmental bacterium causing opportunistic infections. The objective of this study was to identify flexible genome regions in MAH isolated from different sources. By comparing five complete and draft MAH genomes we identified a genomic island conferring additional flexibility to the MAH genomes. The island was absent in one of the five strains and had sizes between 16.37 and 84.85kb in the four other strains. The genes present in the islands differed among strains and included phage- and plasmid-derived genes, integrase genes, hypothetical genes, and virulence-associated genes like mmpL or mce genes.
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Division 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Annesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lahiri
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Division 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchini
authors.affiliation: Freie Universität Berlin, Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Semmler
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Division 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Division 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: LewinA@rki.de.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004777:Environment; D044404:Genomic Islands; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Genome diversity; Genomic island; Horizontal gene transfer; Mycobacterium avium; Virulence