AUTHOR=Atavliyeva Sabina , Auganova Dana , Tarlykov Pavel 

TITLE=Genetic diversity, evolution and drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 2

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1384791

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1384791

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</italic> causes a chronic infectious disease called tuberculosis. Phylogenetic lineage 2 (L2) of <italic>M. tuberculosis</italic>, also known as the East Asian lineage, is associated with high virulence, increased transmissibility, and the spread of multidrug-resistant strains. This review article examines the genomic characteristics of the <italic>M. tuberculosis</italic> genome and <italic>M. tuberculosis</italic> lineage 2, such as the unique insertion sequence and spoligotype patterns, as well as MIRU-VNTR typing, and SNP-based barcoding. The review describes the geographical distribution of lineage 2 and its history of origin. In addition, the article discusses recent studies on drug resistance and compensatory mechanisms of <italic>M. tuberculosis</italic> lineage 2 and its impact on the pathogen’s transmissibility and virulence. This review article discusses the importance of establishing a unified classification for lineage 2 to ensure consistency in terminology and criteria across different studies and settings.</p>