The morphotype switch from smooth to rough in M. abscessus alters gene-essentiality patterns both in vitro and in mouse infection; rough and smooth forms require different genes, affecting therapeutic target selection.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The role of colony morphotype in shaping gene essentiality in Mycobacteroides abscessus - PubMed
Changes in bacterial colony morphology are common during chronic human infections and are thought to provide a survival advantage. In the human pathogen <i>Mycobacteroides abscessus</i> (MAB), a unidirectional transition from a smooth (MAB<sup>S</sup>) to rough (MAB<sup>R</sup>) morphotype frequentl …