Diseases caused by Mycobacterium species are significant global human and animal pathogens, and are the focus of major research efforts. Recently, a novel mycobacterial species, M. shottsii, was identified and isolated from an epizootic in striped bass, Morone saxatilis, in the Chesapeake Bay. M. shottsii causes a chronic, wasting, granulomatous disease in its natural host, similar to the disease caused by M. tuberculosis in humans. Cellular and organism models of infection are required to study a novel pathogen like M. shottsii. The ability of this agent to induce apoptosis or necrosis upon infection is an important pathogenetic feature. In this study, we generated a cellular model for infection, and demonstratded that M. shottsii induces apoptosis in infected cells.