NTM-DB: A Comprehensive Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacteria Genomic Database
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a major group of environmental bacteria, with approximately one-third of them causing serious human infections, particularly respiratory diseases. The global rise in the prevalence and severity of NTM infections has posed a major public health challenge. While high-throughput sequencing has generated vast genomic data on NTM, there remains a lack of comprehensive resources for cross-species genomic analysis. To address these limitations, we have developed a specialized database called NTM-DB (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/ntmdb) tailored for NTM researchers and clinicians. NTM-DB offers the most comprehensive collection of NTM genomic and bioinformatic resources, including 16,469 genome assemblies (13,134 newly assembled genomes), 189 type/standard strain genomes representing 177 species and 12 subspecies, 705 MLST types, 33,240 resistance genes, and 74,315 virulence genes. A user-friendly interactive website has been constructed to enable efficient browsing, MLST profiling, searching, online analysis, and downloading of the aforementioned data. Notably, with online analysis tools, users can perform customized genotyping, cross-species phylogeny, pan-genome, and virulence and drug resistance gene annotation analyses using our data and/or their uploaded data. Overall, with its comprehensive data, intuitive interface, and powerful analysis tools, NTM-DB serves as an important resource and reference for NTM researchers and clinicians, improving diagnosis and treatment for various NTM-related diseases, and supporting both scientific discovery and clinical practice.