Measurable Genomic Changes in Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis after Long-Term Adaptation in Acanthamoeba lenticulata and Reduced Persistence in Macrophages

Abstract

Short-term interaction between Acanthamoeba and M. avium has been demonstrated to increase infectivity in human and murine models of infection, establishing the paradigm that amoebae “train” M. avium in the environment by selecting for phenotypes capable of enduring in human cells. We investigated this phenomenon further by determining the consequence of long-term amoebae adaptation on M. avium subsp. hominissuis persistence in host cells.