IS6110 in oriC affects the morphology and growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and attenuates virulence in mice

The IS6110 element is widely used in studies of molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis and it is considered the gold standard for genotyping Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. Because of its high frequency of transposition, IS6110 is probably a major contributor to the evolution of M. tuberculosis. Nevertheless, very few studies of the effect of IS6110 insertions on the virulence of M. tuberculosis have been reported. We analysed two isogenic groups of M. tuberculosis strains isolated from the sputa of two patients. Strains belonging to the same isogenic group differed from one another by one IS6110-oriC hybridising band, but they showed identical spoligo and MIRU-VNTR profiles. Isogenic strains containing the IS6110 element in oriC exhibited a diminished growth rate and average dimensions of the bacilli were modified; moreover, they were less virulent in a mouse model.