{
  "abstract": "Background: Long-read sequencing has revealed complex variations, such as gene conversions in immunologically critical PE/PPE gene families, yet their role in Mycobacterium tuberculosis host adaptation remains unclear.\n\nMethods: We performed a comparative genomic analysis across a gradient of host-imposed selective pressure: chronic within-host infection, latent household transmission, and a 21-year clonal outbreak in Bern, Switzerland.\n\nResults: We observed a constrained accumulation of mutational events across distinct epidemiological settings, with rates ranging from 0.36 to 0.81 events per genome per year. Under minimal host-imposed selection, the pathogen accumulated only small-scale variants (i.e., SNPs and indels). During the outbreak, however, the genetic diversity landscape shifted toward larger-scale variants, including recurrent gene conversions and structural variations. Notably, an early PPE19-to-PPE18 conversion emerged in the ancestral strain and was maintained across the entire lineage. In contrast, 86% of variants were transient singletons, with only a small proportion persisting under selection.\n\nConclusion: These findings suggest a framework in which M. tuberculosis maintains genomic stability through purifying selection, while retaining the capacity to generate adaptive diversity through large-scale genetic rearrangements in immunologically relevant genomic features under intensified host pressure.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Infectious Diseases, Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University",
    "Department of Infectious Diseases, 900th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistic Support Force",
    "Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, 900th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistic Support Force",
    "Medical Information Data Room, 900th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistic Support Force"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tianyu Lin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Kun Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Zhenchun Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yurou Jin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Weizhen Chen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ezk19arg9db6g.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fmicb.2026.1950486",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13683665",
  "id": "ezk19arg9db6g",
  "issns": [
    "1664-302X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1950486/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2725|Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220835999",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13683665?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13683665",
  "pmid": "42909006",
  "published": "2026-10-07",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ezk19arg9db6g.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:12Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fmicb.2026.1950486",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1950486/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42909006",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909006"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2725|Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology",
      "subfield": "infectious-disease"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Recurrent gene conversions and subcluster-specific variants are associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis adaptation to intensive host pressure: a comparative genomic study",
  "title_text": "Recurrent gene conversions and subcluster-specific variants are associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis adaptation to intensive host pressure: a comparative genomic study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:10Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ezk19arg9db6g",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Microbiology",
  "versions": []
}