Genetic diversity and phylogeny of Mycobacterium avium

Mycobacterium avium, one of the species of the M. avium complex (MAC), includes 4 subspecies, i.e., M. avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH), M. avium subsp. avium (MAA), M. avium subsp. silvaticum (MAS) and M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), in turn classified into the S (sheep) and C (cattle) types. These subspecies, although closely related, represent distinct organisms, each endowed with specific pathogenetic and host range characteristics, ranging from environmental opportunistic bacteria that cause infections in swine and immunocompromised patients to pathogens of birds and ruminants. The present review summarizes the basic epidemiological and pathological features of the M. avium subspecies, describes the major genomic events responsible of M. avium subspecies diversity (insertion sequences, sequence variations in specific chromosome loci or genes, deletions, duplications and insertions of large genomic regions) and then reconstructs the phylogenetic relationships among the M. avium subspecies