Abstract:
Objectives To compare the mutation differences of the virulence genes of ESX-4 system in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in different lineages and with different drug resistance, and explore of ESX-4 system gene polymorphisms in clinical isolates.
Methods Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on 807 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates in southern Xinjiang. The mutation profiles of virulence genes of ESX-4 system as well as the lineages and drug susceptibility results were detected using TB-profiler software. Descriptive analysis method, and χ2 test and logistics regression model were performed on the data and C++ Script programme.
Results A total of 119 single nucleotide polymorphic loci and 12 different insertions/deletions were found in 807 M. tuberculosis strains. The genes with top three non-synonymous mutation rates were Rv3446c (43.12%), esxU (40.02%), and eccC4 and eccD4 genes (both 23.30%). Lineage 2 strains accounted for 62.70% (506/807), lineage 3 strains accounted for 19.45% (157/807) and lineage 4 strains accounted for 17.84% (144/807). In addition, the sensitive strains accounted for 39.41% (318/807), mono-drug resistant strains accounted for 20.94% (169/807), poly-drug resistant strains accounted for 18.59% (150/807), multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains accounted for 21.07% (170/807); and the rifampicin resistant rate was 34.08% (275/807), isoniazid resistant rate was 28.50% (230/807), quinolones resistant rate was 12.14% (98/807). The mutation rates of both eccC4 and esxT genes were significantly higher in the lineage 3 strains than in lineage 2 or lineage 4 strains. Multivariate logistic regression model analysis revealed that lineage 2 and isoniazid resistance were risk factors for mutations in esxU and Rv3446c genes (all OR>1, all P<0.001), and MDR was an additional risk factor for Rv3446c mutation (OR=1.94, 95%CI: 1.12–3.37).
Conclusion Our results identified gene mutations associated with lineage 2 and 3 isolates and drug resistance in the ESX-4 secretion system of M. tuberculosis, which provided basic scientific evidence for further research of the transmission, drug resistance and pathogenic mechanism of M. tuberculosis.