RESUMO
Mycobacterium abscessesus (MAB) is the most common species of rapidly growing pathogenic nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). MAB is also an opportunistic pathogen with high drug resistance. The unique structure of cell wall enables it to exist in different forms and to undergo morphological transformation, making it the "shapeshifter of the mycobacterial world" , which facilitates its survival in natural environment in a saprophytic manner; and also facilitates its invasion into the host with long-term survival and being pathogenic. This article reviews research progress on the specific deformability of MAB and the mechanism associated with its phenotypic transformation; discusses the evolutionary characteristics of MAB to adapt environmental changes to provide reference for better understanding the biological characteristics and pathogenicity of MAB.