Outbreak TB
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Genetic features of an outbreak strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
IRAS ID
338098
Contact name
Helen M O'Hare
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leicester
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 5 months, 20 days
Research summary
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the human disease tuberculosis (or TB). Variation in the genome of the bacterium is likely to influence disease and transmission, but relatively little is known about this influence. As part of diagnosis, patients with suspected TB give samples (usually sputum) to attempt to culture the bacterium and the cultured bacteria are archived. By characterising the biology of archived bacteria from a particular cluster of infections, we aim to determine whether a particular mutation in the bacterial genome influenced the biology of the bacterium and its potential to cause disease.
In 2022, we published a study describing unique microbiological and genetic features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from a persistent outbreak “Lro” in the Midlands (compared to isolates of non-outbreak M. tuberculosis). Unique genetic features of “Lro” M. tuberculosis were identified by analysis of bacterial whole-genome sequences downloaded from the European Nucleotide Archive, and the microbiological features were characterised using bacterial isolates from the Leicester area. Additionally, bacterial genome analysis identified a cluster of isolates (referred to as cluster 10) with a genetic change related to that of “Lro”.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02656-22
This trial seeks to culture isolates belonging to “cluster 10” M. tuberculosis from the culture collection in order to characterise the microbiological phenotype, and thus determine whether it shares the unique features of “Lro” in order to understand the relationship between bacterial genotype and phenotype and the contribution of bacterial phenotype to transmission.REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/PR/1386
Date of REC Opinion
19 Nov 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion