A definition of the Mycobacterium avium complex for taxonomical and clinical purposes, a review

摘要: Nontuberculous mycobacteria, particularly the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteria, are increasingly recognized as opportunistic pathogens of humans. As a result, studies on antibiotic treatment and taxonomy MAC intensifying, but an updated definition what constitutes MAC, either for taxonomical or clinical purposes, is lacking. On basis literature review phylogenetic analyses, we propose to define grouping slow-growing mycobacteria that show corresponding values in at least two following targets against M. avium ATCC 25291T Mycobacterium intracellulare ATCC 13950T: >99.4 % sequence identity full 16S rRNA gene, >98.7 % partial (5′) >97.3 % hsp65 >94.4 % rpoB region V. A >97.5 % value concatenated analyses >2500 bp includes rRNA, gene data ≥85 % average nucleotide intracellulare ATCC 13950T whole genome sequencing recommended. This molecular based distances observed between classical members avium and intracellulare . Applying this definition, complex currently consists 12 validly published species: Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium chimaera, Mycobacterium colombiense, Mycobacterium arosiense, Mycobacterium vulneris, Mycobacterium bouchedurhonense, Mycobacterium timonense, Mycobacterium marseillense, Mycobacterium yongonense, Mycobacterium paraintracellulare Mycobacterium lepraemurium.