Genome instability in pathogenesis of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a serious global health problem that kills over 1 million people annually. Understanding the pathogenesis of TB and the emergence of drug-resistant strains of Mtb is a priority for the development of strategies against TB. Its DNA damage and repair systems are essential for maintaining genome stability in Mtb. Their aberrant work leads to hypermutability and is often associated with the emergence of resistant bacteria. On the other hand, Mtb infection also induces genome instability of host cells, which are involved in the pathogenesis of TB, including the formation of giant cells. Collectively, this review is an attempt to summarize our current understanding of the role of genome instability in the pathogenesis of TB and to shed light on the development of new strategies for TB treatment.