Transition bias influences the evolution of antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000265
• Publication Date: 2019-05-13T17:32:00Z
• Authors: Joshua L. Payne; Fabrizio Menardo; Andrej Trauner; Sonia Borrell; Sebastian M. Gygli; Chloe Loiseau; Sebastien Gagneux; Alex R. Hall
• Keywords: Molecular evolution

Transition bias, an overabundance of transitions relative to transversions, has been widely reported among studies the rates and spectra spontaneous mutations. However, demonstrating role transition bias in adaptive evolution remains challenging. In particular, it is unclear whether such biases direct bacterial pathogens adapting treatment. We addressed this challenge by analyzing antibiotic-resistance mutations major human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). found strong evidence for two independently curated data sets comprising 152 208 This was true at level mutational paths (distinct DNA sequence changes) events (individual instances across different genes gene promoters conferring resistance a diversity antibiotics. It also that do not code amino acid changes (in 16S ribosomal RNA rrs) are synonymous each other therefore likely have similar fitness effects, suggesting can be caused mutation supply. These results point central determining which drive antibiotic key pathogen.