IS6110, a Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex-specific insertion sequence, is also present in the genome of Mycobacterium smegmatis, suggestive of lateral gene transfer among mycobacterial species

IS6110 is an insertion element found exclusively within the members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), and because of this exclusivity, it has become an important diagnostic tool in the identification of MTBC species. The restriction of IS6110 to the MTBC is hypothesized to arise from the inability of these bacteria to exchange DNA. We have identified an IS6110-related element in a strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis. The presence of IS6110 indicates that lateral gene transfer has occurred among mycobacterial species, suggesting that the mycobacterial gene pool is larger than previously suspected.