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- Title
The White Morphotype of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Is Common in Infected Humans and Virulent in Infection Models.
- Authors
Mukherjee, Sandeep; Petrofsky, Mary; Yaraei, Kambiz; Bermudez, Luiz E.; Cangelosi, Gerard A.
- Abstract
Isolates of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI) form multiple colony types named red-opaque, white-opaque, red-transparent (RT), and white-transparent (WT). The newly discov-ered WT morphotype is multidrug resistant relative to other variants in vitro. To determine whether the WT morphotype occurs in humans, 32 MAI-positive clinical samples from 2 sites were plated directly onto indicator agar without prior passage in vitro. WT was the predomi-nant morphotype in 26 (81%) of these samples and was absent in only 2 samples. WT variants grew better than isogenic RT variants in mouse and human macrophage models of infection, and RT clones that passed through such systems underwent rapid shifts to the WT morphotype. The RT morphotype was heterogeneous with regard to infectivity. In summary, the white mor-photype was common in humans and was favored in disease models. It may play an important role in the establishment and persistence of MAI infection.
- Subjects
MYCOBACTERIUM avium; MYCOBACTERIAL diseases
- Publication
Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2001, Vol 184, Issue 11, p1480
- ISSN
0022-1899
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1086/324523