Table 1. Genomes, living styles, and pathogenicity of five Mycobacterium species.
| Feature | M. leprae | M. tuberculosis | M. ulcerans | M. marinum | M. avium 104 |
| Genome | |||||
| References; year | [7], [8]; 2001, 2009 | [9]; 1998 | [12]; 2007 | [11]; 2008 | [10]; 2013 |
| Mega-base pairs | 3.27 | 4.41 | 5.63 | 6.64 | 5.48 |
| G+C content (%) | 57.8 | 65.6 | 65.5 | 65.7 | 69.0 |
| No. genes | 1,604 | 3,974 | 4,160 | 5,424 | 5,120 |
| No. pseudogenes | 1,116 | 17 | 771 | 65 | Rare |
| Living style | Human parasite | Human parasite | Free-living | Free-living | Free-living |
| Cultivation in media | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pathogenicity | Moderate | High | Moderate | Low | Low |
| Main infection sites | Skin, nerves | Lungs, bone, etc | Skin (legs) | Skin | Opportunistic |
| Route of infection | Likely nasal mucosa | Airway transmission | Water insect bite | Wound exposure | Airway, GI tract |
GI: gastrointestinal tract.