Mycobacterium sp. Raw sequence reads

The rise of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) necessitates innovative research approaches. This study evaluates Mycobacterium spp. JER01 as a model system to investigate the emergence of resistance to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH), two critical first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. We determined spontaneous mutation rates and characterized the genetic changes associated with this resistance. For RIF, we analyzed mutations within the Rifampicin Resistance Determining Region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene. Sequencing the rpoB gene of Mycobacterium spp. JER01 revealed a variety of single nucleotide polymorphisms that conferred high levels of RIF resistance and mutations observed in drug-resistant Mtb strains in-vivo. We also investigated genetic alterations related to INH resistance by analyzing the katG and inhA genes associated with varying degrees of INH resistance in JER01. Specifically, indels in the katG gene were most prevalent in high-level INH-resistant strains, while mutations in the inhA promoter were not observed. By using JER01, a less pathogenic relative of Mtb, we gain insights into the mechanisms of drug resistance.