Phylogenetic reconstruction within Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype in northwestern Russia.

A selection of genetic markers was used to study the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing family strains in northwestern Russia. A total of 221 of 434 epidemiologically unlinked isolates studied in 1996-2001 belonged to the Beijing family as determined by standard spoligotyping (signals 35-43). Ninety-six percent of these Beijing isolates ("typical") were closely related in IS6110-RFLP (D > 0.