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Børud B, Koomey M. Sweet complexity: O-linked protein glycosylation in pathogenic Neisseria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1407863. [PMID: 38808060 PMCID: PMC11130364 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1407863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The genus Neisseria, which colonizes mucosal surfaces, includes both commensal and pathogenic species that are exclusive to humans. The two pathogenic Neisseria species are closely related but cause quite different diseases, meningococcal sepsis and meningitis (Neisseria meningitidis) and sexually transmitted gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae). Although obvious differences in bacterial niches and mechanisms for transmission exists, pathogenic Neisseria have high levels of conservation at the levels of nucleotide sequences, gene content and synteny. Species of Neisseria express broad-spectrum O-linked protein glycosylation where the glycoproteins are largely transmembrane proteins or lipoproteins localized on the cell surface or in the periplasm. There are diverse functions among the identified glycoproteins, for example type IV biogenesis proteins, proteins involved in antimicrobial resistance, as well as surface proteins that have been suggested as vaccine candidates. The most abundant glycoprotein, PilE, is the major subunit of pili which are an important colonization factor. The glycans attached can vary extensively due to phase variation of protein glycosylation (pgl) genes and polymorphic pgl gene content. The exact roles of glycosylation in Neisseria remains to be determined, but increasing evidence suggests that glycan variability can be a strategy to evade the human immune system. In addition, pathogenic and commensal Neisseria appear to have significant glycosylation differences. Here, the current knowledge and implications of protein glycosylation genes, glycan diversity, glycoproteins and immunogenicity in pathogenic Neisseria are summarized and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bente Børud
- Department of Bacteriology, Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael Koomey
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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2
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Mikucki A, Kahler CM. Microevolution and Its Impact on Hypervirulence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Vaccine Escape in Neisseria meningitidis. Microorganisms 2023; 11:3005. [PMID: 38138149 PMCID: PMC10745880 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11123005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is commensal of the human pharynx and occasionally invades the host, causing the life-threatening illness invasive meningococcal disease. The meningococcus is a highly diverse and adaptable organism thanks to natural competence, a propensity for recombination, and a highly repetitive genome. These mechanisms together result in a high level of antigenic variation to invade diverse human hosts and evade their innate and adaptive immune responses. This review explores the ways in which this diversity contributes to the evolutionary history and population structure of the meningococcus, with a particular focus on microevolution. It examines studies on meningococcal microevolution in the context of within-host evolution and persistent carriage; microevolution in the context of meningococcal outbreaks and epidemics; and the potential of microevolution to contribute to antimicrobial resistance and vaccine escape. A persistent theme is the idea that the process of microevolution contributes to the development of new hyperinvasive meningococcal variants. As such, microevolution in this species has significant potential to drive future public health threats in the form of hypervirulent, antibiotic-resistant, vaccine-escape variants. The implications of this on current vaccination strategies are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- August Mikucki
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Charlene M. Kahler
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
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3
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Khoder M, Osman M, Kassem II, Rafei R, Shahin A, Diene SM, Rolain JM, Hamze M. Genomic analysis of Neisseria meningitidis ST23 serogroup Y isolated from the semen. New Microbes New Infect 2023; 53:101129. [PMID: 37216023 PMCID: PMC10193021 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2023.101129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- May Khoder
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Aix Marseille Université, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Marwan Osman
- Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Issmat I Kassem
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, 30223-1797, USA
| | - Rayane Rafei
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Ahmad Shahin
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Seydina M Diene
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Aix Marseille Université, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Marc Rolain
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Aix Marseille Université, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Monzer Hamze
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
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4
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Grote A, Earl AM. Within-host evolution of bacterial pathogens during persistent infection of humans. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 70:102197. [PMID: 36063686 PMCID: PMC11333989 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Many bacterial pathogens can form persistent infections, providing an infectious reservoir, which allows for infection of new hosts. Currently, the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary dynamics driving persistence are still not well-understood. High-throughput sequencing methods have enabled the study of within-host evolution of persistent bacterial pathogens, revealing common trends among bacterial species in how they adapt to persist. We will focus on trends emerging from longitudinal human-cohort studies, including i) genome-size reduction, ii) metabolic adaptation to the host, iii) antimicrobial resistance, iv) changes in virulence and the bacterial cell surface, and v) hypermutation, and comment on where the field should focus going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Grote
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ashlee M Earl
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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5
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Topaz N, Kristiansen PA, Schmink S, Congo-Ouédraogo M, Kambiré D, Mbaeyi S, Paye M, Sanou M, Sangaré L, Ouédraogo R, Wang X. Molecular insights into meningococcal carriage isolates from Burkina Faso 7 years after introduction of a serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Microb Genom 2020; 6:mgen000486. [PMID: 33332261 PMCID: PMC8116689 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2010, Burkina Faso completed the first nationwide mass-vaccination campaign of a meningococcal A conjugate vaccine, drastically reducing the incidence of disease caused by serogroup A meningococci. Since then, other strains, such as those belonging to serogroups W, X and C, have continued to cause outbreaks within the region. A carriage study was conducted in 2016 and 2017 in the country to characterize the meningococcal strains circulating among healthy individuals following the mass-vaccination campaign. Four cross-sectional carriage evaluation rounds were conducted in two districts of Burkina Faso, Kaya and Ouahigouya. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis by culture. Confirmed N. meningitidis isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing for molecular characterization. Among 13 758 participants, 1035 (7.5 %) N. meningitidis isolates were recovered. Most isolates (934/1035; 90.2 %) were non-groupable and primarily belonged to clonal complex (CC) 192 (822/934; 88 %). Groupable isolates (101/1035; 9.8 %) primarily belonged to CCs associated with recent outbreaks in the region, such as CC11 (serogroup W) and CC10217 (serogroup C); carried serogroup A isolates were not detected. Phylogenetic analysis revealed several CC11 strains circulating within the country, several of which were closely related to invasive isolates. Three sequence types (STs) were identified among eleven CC10217 carriage isolates, two of which have caused recent outbreaks in the region (ST-10217 and ST-12446). Our results show the importance of carriage studies to track the outbreak-associated strains circulating within the population in order to inform future vaccination strategies and molecular surveillance programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadav Topaz
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D11, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Paul Arne Kristiansen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Present address: Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Oslo, Norway
| | - Susanna Schmink
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D11, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | | | - Dinanibè Kambiré
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Sarah Mbaeyi
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D11, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Marietou Paye
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D11, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Mahamoudou Sanou
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Lassana Sangaré
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Rasmata Ouédraogo
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Xin Wang
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D11, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
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6
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Mustapha MM, Marsh JW, Shutt KA, Schlackman J, Ezeonwuka C, Farley MM, Stephens DS, Wang X, Van Tyne D, Harrison LH. Transmission Dynamics and Microevolution of Neisseria meningitidis During Carriage and Invasive Disease in High School Students in Georgia and Maryland, 2006-2007. J Infect Dis 2020; 223:2038-2047. [PMID: 33107578 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms by which Neisseria meningitidis cause persistent human carriage and transition from carriage to invasive disease have not been fully elucidated. METHODS Georgia and Maryland high school students were sampled for pharyngeal carriage of N. meningitidis during the 2006-2007 school year. A total of 321 isolates from 188 carriers and all 67 invasive disease isolates collected during the same time and from the same geographic region underwent whole-genome sequencing. Core-genome multilocus sequence typing was used to compare allelic profiles, and direct read mapping was used to study strain evolution. RESULTS Among 188 N. meningitidis culture-positive students, 98 (52.1%) were N. meningitidis culture positive at 2 or 3 samplings. Most students who were positive at >1 sampling (98%) had persistence of a single strain. More than a third of students carried isolates that were highly genetically related to isolates from other students in the same school, and occasional transmission within the same county was also evident. The major pilin subunit gene, pilE, was the most variable gene, and no carrier had identical pilE sequences at different time points. CONCLUSION We found strong evidence of local meningococcal transmission at both the school and county levels. Allelic variation within genes encoding bacterial surface structures, particularly pilE, was common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustapha M Mustapha
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jane W Marsh
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kathleen A Shutt
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica Schlackman
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chinelo Ezeonwuka
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Monica M Farley
- Emory University Department of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Atlanta VA Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Xin Wang
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lee H Harrison
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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7
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Azimi S, Wheldon LM, Oldfield NJ, Ala'Aldeen DAA, Wooldridge KG. A role for fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 in the pathogenesis of Neisseria meningitidis. Microb Pathog 2020; 149:104534. [PMID: 33045339 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) remains an important cause of human disease, including meningitis and sepsis. Adaptation to the host environment includes many interactions with specific cell surface receptors, resulting in intracellular signalling and cytoskeletal rearrangements that contribute to pathogenesis. Here, we assessed the interactions between meningococci and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1-IIIc (FGFR1-IIIc): a receptor specific to endothelial cells of the microvasculature, including that of the blood-brain barrier. We show that the meningococcus recruits FGFR1-IIIc onto the surface of human blood microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Furthermore, we demonstrate that expression of FGFR1-IIIc is required for optimal invasion of HBMECs by meningococci. We show that the ability of N. meningitidis to interact with the ligand-binding domain of FGFR1-IIIc is shared with the other pathogenic Neisseria species, N. gonorrhoeae, but not with commensal bacteria including non-pathogenic Neisseria species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheyda Azimi
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Lee M Wheldon
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Neil J Oldfield
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Dlawer A A Ala'Aldeen
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Karl G Wooldridge
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK.
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8
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Joseph SJ, Topaz N, Chang HY, Whaley MJ, Vuong JT, Chen A, Hu F, Schmink SE, Jenkins LT, Rodriguez-Rivera LD, Thomas JD, Acosta AM, McNamara L, Soeters HM, Mbaeyi S, Wang X. Insights on Population Structure and Within-Host Genetic Changes among Meningococcal Carriage Isolates from U.S. Universities. mSphere 2020; 5:e00197-20. [PMID: 32269159 PMCID: PMC7142301 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00197-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2015 and 2016, meningococcal carriage evaluations were conducted at two universities in the United States following mass vaccination campaigns in response to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (NmB) disease outbreaks. A simultaneous carriage evaluation was also conducted at a university near one of the outbreaks, where no NmB cases were reported and no mass vaccination occurred. A total of ten cross-sectional carriage evaluation rounds were conducted, resulting in 1,514 meningococcal carriage isolates collected from 7,001 unique participants; 1,587 individuals were swabbed at multiple time points (repeat participants). All isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing. The most frequently observed clonal complexes (CC) were CC198 (27.3%), followed by CC1157 (17.4%), CC41/44 (9.8%), CC35 (7.4%), and CC32 (5.6%). Phylogenetic analysis identified carriage isolates that were highly similar to the NmB outbreak strains; comparative genomics between these outbreak and carriage isolates revealed genetic changes in virulence genes. Among repeat participants, 348 individuals carried meningococcal bacteria during at least one carriage evaluation round; 50.3% retained N. meningitidis carriage of a strain with the same sequence type (ST) and CC across rounds, 44.3% only carried N. meningitidis in one round, and 5.4% acquired a new N. meningitidis strain between rounds. Recombination, point mutations, deletions, and simple sequence repeats were the most frequent genetic mechanisms found in isolates collected from hosts carrying a strain of the same ST and CC across rounds. Our findings provide insight on the dynamics of meningococcal carriage among a population that is at higher risk for invasive meningococcal disease than the general population.IMPORTANCE U.S. university students are at a higher risk of invasive meningococcal disease than the general population. The responsible pathogen, Neisseria meningitidis, can be carried asymptomatically in the oropharynx; the dynamics of meningococcal carriage and the genetic features that distinguish carriage versus disease states are not completely understood. Through our analyses, we aimed to provide data to address these topics. We whole-genome sequenced 1,514 meningococcal carriage isolates from individuals at three U.S. universities, two of which underwent mass vaccination campaigns following recent meningococcal outbreaks. We describe the within-host genetic changes among individuals carrying a strain with the same molecular type over time, the primary strains being carried in this population, and the genetic differences between closely related outbreak and carriage strains. Our results provide detailed information on the dynamics of meningococcal carriage and the genetic differences in carriage and outbreak strains, which can inform future efforts to reduce the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Melissa J Whaley
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jeni T Vuong
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alexander Chen
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Fang Hu
- IHRC Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Susanna E Schmink
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Laurel T Jenkins
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Jennifer D Thomas
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anna M Acosta
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lucy McNamara
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Heidi M Soeters
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sarah Mbaeyi
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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9
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Alfsnes K, Eldholm V, Olsen AO, Brynildsrud OB, Bohlin J, Steinbakk M, Caugant DA. Genomic epidemiology and population structure of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Norway, 2016-2017. Microb Genom 2020; 6:e000359. [PMID: 32213251 PMCID: PMC7276708 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study presents the nationwide epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, using whole-genome sequencing of all culture-positive cases, which comprise roughly 40 % of all cases of gonorrhea reported in Norway from 2016 to 2017. Isolates were assigned to sequence types and Bayesian analysis clusters and variation in genes coding for antibiotic resistance was linked to phenotypic resistance data. The study also included isolates taken from the same patients from different anatomical sites at one or more time points. Comparing these isolates allows for observation of patterns of infections, i.e. multiple reinfections of genetically related clones vs. reinfections of genetically distant clones, and quantification of the genomic variation of closely related isolates from samples taken from a patient within the same day. Demographically, the patients in the study could be split into two groups; one group of patients from the capital with a high proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM), and another consisting of young adults with transmission primarily between males and females from outside the capital. Some clusters of N. gonorrhoeae were restricted to one of these two demographic groups. Pairwise comparison of multiple isolates from the same patients revealed that most were reinfected with different clones. Observations of frequent reinfections in patients is a concern and should be taken into account in the development of improved information and treatment guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Alfsnes
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vegard Eldholm
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anne Olaug Olsen
- National Advisory Unit for Sexually Transmitted Infections, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ola Brønstad Brynildsrud
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jon Bohlin
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Martin Steinbakk
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Østfold Hospital Trust, Center for Laboratory Medicine, Grålum, Norway
| | - Dominique A. Caugant
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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10
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Epidemiology of two decades of invasive meningococcal disease in the Republic of Ireland: an analysis of national surveillance data on laboratory-confirmed cases from 1996 to 2016. Epidemiol Infect 2020; 147:e142. [PMID: 30869045 PMCID: PMC6518514 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268819000396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) between epidemiological year (EY) 1996/1997 and EY2015/2016. Over the 20 EYs, 3707 cases were reported with annual incidence rates per 100 000 peaking at 11.6 in EY1999/2000, decreasing significantly to 1.5 in EY2015/2016. The highest disease burden was in infants and children <5, whereas adults aged ⩾65 years experienced the highest case fatality ratio (CFR) of 15.7% but over the study period the median annual CFR remained low (4.4%). Meningococcal serogroup B (menB) dominated (78%), followed by menC (17%), menW (1%) and menY (1%). The incidence of menC IMD declined significantly in all age groups after menC vaccine introduction in 2000. MenB incidence also declined over the 20 EYs with decreasing trends in all age groups under 65, including an almost 50% decrease in infants over the final four EYs. IMD incidence in the ROI has declined, partly attributable to menC vaccination success, coupled with a spontaneous decline in menB. However, recent gradual increases in non-menB IMD and the introduction of vaccines targeting menB demand continued detailed surveillance to accurately monitor trends and to assess vaccine impact.
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11
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Humbert MV, Christodoulides M. Atypical, Yet Not Infrequent, Infections with Neisseria Species. Pathogens 2019; 9:E10. [PMID: 31861867 PMCID: PMC7168603 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria species are extremely well-adapted to their mammalian hosts and they display unique phenotypes that account for their ability to thrive within niche-specific conditions. The closely related species N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis are the only two species of the genus recognized as strict human pathogens, causing the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea and meningitis and sepsis, respectively. Gonococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the male urethra and female endo/ectocervix, whereas meningococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the human nasopharynx. The pathophysiological host responses to gonococcal and meningococcal infection are distinct. However, medical evidence dating back to the early 1900s demonstrates that these two species can cross-colonize anatomical niches, with patients often presenting with clinically-indistinguishable infections. The remaining Neisseria species are not commonly associated with disease and are considered as commensals within the normal microbiota of the human and animal nasopharynx. Nonetheless, clinical case reports suggest that they can behave as opportunistic pathogens. In this review, we describe the diversity of the genus Neisseria in the clinical context and raise the attention of microbiologists and clinicians for more cautious approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of the many pathologies these species may cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Victoria Humbert
- Molecular Microbiology, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK;
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12
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Caugant DA, Brynildsrud OB. Neisseria meningitidis: using genomics to understand diversity, evolution and pathogenesis. Nat Rev Microbiol 2019; 18:84-96. [PMID: 31705134 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0282-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Meningococcal disease remains an important cause of morbidity and death worldwide despite the development and increasing implementation of effective vaccines. Elimination of the disease is hampered by the enormous diversity and antigenic variability of the causative agent, Neisseria meningitidis, one of the most variable bacteria in nature. These features are attained mainly through high rates of horizontal gene transfer and alteration of protein expression through phase variation. The recent availability of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of large-scale collections of N. meningitidis isolates from various origins, databases to facilitate storage and sharing of WGS data and the concomitant development of effective bioinformatics tools have led to a much more thorough understanding of the diversity of the species, its evolution and population structure and how virulent traits may emerge. Implementation of WGS is already contributing to enhanced epidemiological surveillance and is essential to ascertain the impact of vaccination strategies. This Review summarizes the recent advances provided by WGS studies in our understanding of the biology of N. meningitidis and the epidemiology of meningococcal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique A Caugant
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. .,Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Ola B Brynildsrud
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Norwegian University of Life Science, Oslo, Norway
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Green LR, Dave N, Adewoye AB, Lucidarme J, Clark SA, Oldfield NJ, Turner DPJ, Borrow R, Bayliss CD. Potentiation of Phase Variation in Multiple Outer-Membrane Proteins During Spread of the Hyperinvasive Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup W ST-11 Lineage. J Infect Dis 2019; 220:1109-1117. [PMID: 31119276 PMCID: PMC6735796 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since 2009, increases in the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease have occurred in the United Kingdom due to a sublineage of the Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W ST-11 clonal complex (hereafter, the "original UK strain"). In 2013, a descendent substrain (hereafter, the "2013 strain") became the dominant disease-causing variant. Multiple outer-membrane proteins of meningococci are subject to phase-variable switches in expression due to hypermutable simple-sequence repeats. We investigated whether alterations in phase-variable genes may have influenced the relative prevalence of the original UK and 2013 substrains, using multiple disease and carriage isolates. METHODS Repeat numbers were determined by either bioinformatics analysis of whole-genome sequencing data or polymerase chain reaction amplification and sizing of fragments from genomic DNA extracts. Immunoblotting and sequence-translation analysis was performed to identify expression states. RESULTS Significant increases in repeat numbers were detected between the original UK and 2013 strains in genes encoding PorA, NadA, and 2 Opa variants. Invasive and carriage isolates exhibited similar repeat numbers, but the absence of pilC gene expression was frequently associated with disease. CONCLUSIONS Elevated repeat numbers in outer-membrane protein genes of the 2013 strain are indicative of higher phase-variation rates, suggesting that rapid expansion of this strain was due to a heightened ability to evade host immune responses during transmission and asymptomatic carriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Green
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester
| | - Neelam Dave
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester
| | - Adeolu B Adewoye
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester
| | - Jay Lucidarme
- Meningococcal Reference Unit, Public Health England, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester
| | - Stephen A Clark
- Meningococcal Reference Unit, Public Health England, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester
| | - Neil J Oldfield
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - David P J Turner
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ray Borrow
- Meningococcal Reference Unit, Public Health England, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester
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Genus-Wide Comparative Genomics Analysis of Neisseria to Identify New Genes Associated with Pathogenicity and Niche Adaptation of Neisseria Pathogens. Int J Genomics 2019; 2019:6015730. [PMID: 30775379 PMCID: PMC6350579 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6015730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis, the only two human pathogens of Neisseria, are closely related species. But the niches they survived in and their pathogenic characteristics are distinctly different. However, the genetic basis of these differences has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, comparative genomics analysis was performed based on 15 N. gonorrhoeae, 75 N. meningitidis, and 7 nonpathogenic Neisseria genomes. Core-pangenome analysis found 1111 conserved gene families among them, and each of these species groups had opening pangenome. We found that 452, 78, and 319 gene families were unique in N. gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis, and both of them, respectively. Those unique gene families were regarded as candidates that related to their pathogenicity and niche adaptation. The relationships among them have been partly verified by functional annotation analysis. But at least one-third genes for each gene set have not found the certain functional information. Simple sequence repeat (SSR), the basis of gene phase variation, was found abundant in the membrane or related genes of each unique gene set, which may facilitate their adaptation to variable host environments. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis found at least five distinct PPI clusters in N. gonorrhoeae and four in N. meningitides, and 167 and 52 proteins with unknown function were contained within them, respectively.
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15
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Pandey A, Cleary DW, Laver JR, Gorringe A, Deasy AM, Dale AP, Morris PD, Didelot X, Maiden MCJ, Read RC. Microevolution of Neisseria lactamica during nasopharyngeal colonisation induced by controlled human infection. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4753. [PMID: 30420631 PMCID: PMC6232127 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07235-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria lactamica is a harmless coloniser of the infant respiratory tract, and has a mutually-excluding relationship with the pathogen Neisseria meningitidis. Here we report controlled human infection with genomically-defined N. lactamica and subsequent bacterial microevolution during 26 weeks of colonisation. We find that most mutations that occur during nasopharyngeal carriage are transient indels within repetitive tracts of putative phase-variable loci associated with host-microbe interactions (pgl and lgt) and iron acquisition (fetA promotor and hpuA). Recurrent polymorphisms occurred in genes associated with energy metabolism (nuoN, rssA) and the CRISPR-associated cas1. A gene encoding a large hypothetical protein was often mutated in 27% of the subjects. In volunteers who were naturally co-colonised with meningococci, recombination altered allelic identity in N. lactamica to resemble meningococcal alleles, including loci associated with metabolism, outer membrane proteins and immune response activators. Our results suggest that phase variable genes are often mutated during carriage-associated microevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish Pandey
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK.
| | - David W Cleary
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK
- Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK
| | - Jay R Laver
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK
| | | | - Alice M Deasy
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S103JF, UK
- Department of Cardiology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, S103JF, UK
| | - Adam P Dale
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK
- Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK
| | - Paul D Morris
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S103JF, UK
- Department of Cardiology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, S103JF, UK
| | - Xavier Didelot
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW72AZ, UK
- Department of Statistics, School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Martin C J Maiden
- Department of Zoology, Peter Medawar Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX13SY, UK
| | - Robert C Read
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK.
- Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK.
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO166YD, UK.
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16
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Phase-Variable Genotypes Sweetened by Glycosylation Phenotypes. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00316-18. [PMID: 29866804 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00316-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The affordability of bacterial genome sequencing has provided a helpful tool for sequencing large strain collections. Bente Børud (J. Bacteriol. 200:e00794-17, 2018, https://doi.org/doi:10.1128/JB.00794-17) recently led an effort to analyze the genomes of a collection of oropharyngeal Neisseria meningitidis isolates from 50 healthy individuals. Paired longitudinal isolates from each individual were sequenced. Genome analyses focused on (i) predicting the expression state of phase-variable loci that encode enzymes important for O-linked protein glycosylation and (ii) correlating specific genotypes with glycosylation phenotypes.
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17
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Heidrich N, Hagmann A, Bauriedl S, Vogel J, Schoen C. The CRISPR/Cas system in Neisseria meningitidis affects bacterial adhesion to human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. RNA Biol 2018; 16:390-396. [PMID: 30059276 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1486660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis, a commensal β-proteobacterium of the human nasopharynx, constitutes a worldwide leading cause of sepsis and epidemic meningitis. A recent genome-wide association study suggested an association of its type II-C CRISPR/Cas system with carriage and thus less invasive lineages. Here, we show that knock-out strains lacking the Cas9 protein are impaired in the adhesion to human nasopharyngeal cells which constitutes a central step in the pathogenesis of invasive meningococcal disease. Transcriptome sequencing data further suggest that meningococcal Cas9 does not affect the expression of surface adhesins but rather exerts its effect on cell adhesion in an indirect manner. Consequently, we speculate that the meningococcal CRISPR/Cas system exerts novel functions beyond its established role in defence against foreign DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Heidrich
- a Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Antony Hagmann
- b Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology (IHM) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Saskia Bauriedl
- a Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany.,b Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology (IHM) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- a Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany.,c Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Biology (HIRI) , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Christoph Schoen
- b Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology (IHM) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
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18
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Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of the O-Linked Protein Glycosylation System Reveals High Glycan Diversity in Paired Meningococcal Carriage Isolates. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00794-17. [PMID: 29555702 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00794-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Species within the genus Neisseria display significant glycan diversity associated with the O-linked protein glycosylation (pgl) systems due to phase variation and polymorphic genes and gene content. The aim of this study was to examine in detail the pgl genotype and glycosylation phenotype in meningococcal isolates and the changes occurring during short-term asymptomatic carriage. Paired meningococcal isolates derived from 50 asymptomatic meningococcal carriers, taken about 2 months apart, were analyzed with whole-genome sequencing. The O-linked protein glycosylation genes were characterized in detail using the Genome Comparator tool at the https://pubmlst.org/ database. Immunoblotting with glycan-specific antibodies (Abs) was used to investigate the protein glycosylation phenotype. All major pgl locus polymorphisms identified in Neisseria meningitidis to date were present in our isolate collection, with the variable presence of pglG and pglH, both in combination with either pglB or pglB2 We identified significant changes and diversity in the pgl genotype and/or glycan phenotype in 96% of the paired isolates. There was also a high degree of glycan microheterogeneity, in which different variants of glycan structures were found at a given glycoprotein. The main mechanism responsible for the observed differences was phase-variable expression of the involved glycosyltransferases and the O-acetyltransferase. To our knowledge, this is the first characterization of the pgl genotype and glycosylation phenotype in a larger strain collection. This report thus provides important insight into glycan diversity in N. meningitidis and into the phase variability changes that influence the expressed glycoform repertoire during meningococcal carriage.IMPORTANCE Bacterial meningitis is a serious global health problem, and one of the major causative organisms is Neisseria meningitidis, which is also a common commensal in the upper respiratory tract of healthy humans. In bacteria, numerous loci involved in biosynthesis of surface-exposed antigenic structures that are involved in the interaction between bacteria and host are frequently subjected to homologous recombination and phase variation. These mechanisms are well described in Neisseria, and phase variation provides the ability to change these structures reversibly in response to the environment. Protein glycosylation systems are becoming widely identified in bacteria, and yet little is known about the mechanisms and evolutionary forces influencing glycan composition during carriage and disease.
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Strobel L, Johswich KO. Anticoagulants impact on innate immune responses and bacterial survival in whole blood models of Neisseria meningitidis infection. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10225. [PMID: 29977064 PMCID: PMC6033889 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28583-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) causes invasive diseases such as meningitis or septicaemia. Ex vivo infection of human whole blood is a valuable tool to study meningococcal virulence factors and the host innate immune responses. In order to consider effects of cellular mediators, the coagulation cascade must be inhibited to avoid clotting. There is considerable variation in the anticoagulants used among studies of N. meningitidis whole blood infections, featuring citrate, heparin or derivatives of hirudin, a polypeptide from leech saliva. Here, we compare the influence of these three different anticoagulants, and additionally Mg/EGTA, on host innate immune responses as well as on viability of N. meningitidis strains isolated from healthy carriers and disease cases, reflecting different sequence types and capsule phenotypes. We found that the anticoagulants significantly impact on cellular responses and, strain-dependently, also on bacterial survival. Hirudin does not inhibit complement and is therefore superior over the other anticoagulants; indeed hirudin-plasma most closely reflects the characteristics of serum during N. meningitidis infection. We further demonstrate the impact of heparin on complement activation on N. meningitidis and its consequences on meningococcal survival in immune sera, which appears to be independent of the heparin binding antigens Opc and NHBA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Strobel
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Kay O Johswich
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
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20
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Harrison OB, Schoen C, Retchless AC, Wang X, Jolley KA, Bray JE, Maiden MCJ. Neisseria genomics: current status and future perspectives. Pathog Dis 2018; 75:3861976. [PMID: 28591853 PMCID: PMC5827584 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftx060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput whole genome sequencing has unlocked a multitude of possibilities enabling members of the Neisseria genus to be examined with unprecedented detail, including the human pathogens Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. To maximise the potential benefit of this for public health, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that this plethora of data are adequately stored, disseminated and made readily accessible. Investigations facilitating cross-species comparisons as well as the analysis of global datasets will allow differences among and within species and across geographic locations and different times to be identified, improving our understanding of the distinct phenotypes observed. Recent advances in high-throughput platforms that measure the transcriptome, proteome and/or epigenome are also becoming increasingly employed to explore the complexities of Neisseria biology. An integrated approach to the analysis of these is essential to fully understand the impact these may have in the Neisseria genus. This article reviews the current status of some of the tools available for next generation sequence analysis at the dawn of the ‘post-genomic’ era.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph Schoen
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Adam C Retchless
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Keith A Jolley
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK
| | - James E Bray
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK
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21
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Wanford JJ, Green LR, Aidley J, Bayliss CD. Phasome analysis of pathogenic and commensal Neisseria species expands the known repertoire of phase variable genes, and highlights common adaptive strategies. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196675. [PMID: 29763438 PMCID: PMC5953494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic Neisseria are responsible for significantly higher levels of morbidity and mortality than their commensal relatives despite having similar genetic contents. Neisseria possess a disparate arsenal of surface determinants that facilitate host colonisation and evasion of the immune response during persistent carriage. Adaptation to rapid changes in these hostile host environments is enabled by phase variation (PV) involving high frequency, stochastic switches in expression of surface determinants. In this study, we analysed 89 complete and 79 partial genomes, from the NCBI and Neisseria PubMLST databases, representative of multiple pathogenic and commensal species of Neisseria using PhasomeIt, a new program that identifies putatively phase-variable genes and homology groups by the presence of simple sequence repeats (SSR). We detected a repertoire of 884 putative PV loci with maxima of 54 and 47 per genome in gonococcal and meningococcal isolates, respectively. Most commensal species encoded a lower number of PV genes (between 5 and 30) except N. lactamica wherein the potential for PV (36–82 loci) was higher, implying that PV is an adaptive mechanism for persistence in this species. We also characterised the repeat types and numbers in both pathogenic and commensal species. Conservation of SSR-mediated PV was frequently observed in outer membrane proteins or modifiers of outer membrane determinants. Intermittent and weak selection for evolution of SSR-mediated PV was suggested by poor conservation of tracts with novel PV genes often occurring in only one isolate. Finally, we describe core phasomes—the conserved repertoires of phase-variable genes—for each species that identify overlapping but distinctive adaptive strategies for the pathogenic and commensal members of the Neisseria genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J. Wanford
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Luke R. Green
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Aidley
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher D. Bayliss
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
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Siena E, Bodini M, Medini D. Interplay Between Virulence and Variability Factors as a Potential Driver of Invasive Meningococcal Disease. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2018; 16:61-69. [PMID: 29686800 PMCID: PMC5910500 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is frequently found in the upper respiratory tract of the human population. Despite its prevalence as a commensal organism, Nm can occasionally invade the pharyngeal mucosal epithelium causing septicemia and life-threatening disease. A number of studies have tried to identify factors that are responsible for the onset of a virulent phenotype. Despite this however, we still miss clear causative elements. Several factors have been identified to be associated to an increased susceptibility to meningococcal disease in humans. None of them, however, could unambiguously discriminate healthy carrier from infected individuals. Similarly, comparative studies of virulent and apathogenic strains failed to identify virulence factors that could explain the emergence of the pathogenic phenotype. In line with this, a recent study of within host evolution found that Nm accumulates genomic changes during the asymptomatic carriage phase and that these are likely to contribute to the shift to a pathogenic phenotype. These results suggest that the presence of virulence factors in the meningococcal genome is not a sufficient condition for developing virulent traits, but is rather the ability to promote phenotypic variation, through the stochastic assortment of the repertoire of such factors, which could explain the occasional and unpredictable onset of IMD. Here, we present a series of argumentations supporting the hypothesis that invasive meningococcal disease comes as a result of the coexistence of bacterial virulence and variability factors in a plot that can be further complicated by additional latent factors, like host pre-existing immune status and genetic predisposition.
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Spencer-Smith R, Gould SW, Pulijala M, Snyder LAS. Investigating Potential Chromosomal Rearrangements during Laboratory Culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Microorganisms 2018; 6:microorganisms6010010. [PMID: 29361673 PMCID: PMC5874624 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms6010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparisons of genome sequence data between different strains and isolates of Neisseria spp., such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, reveal that over the evolutionary history of these organisms, large scale chromosomal rearrangements have occurred. Factors within the genomes, such as repetitive sequences and prophage, are believed to have contributed to these observations. However, the timescale in which rearrangements occur is not clear, nor whether it might be expected for them to happen in the laboratory. In this study, N. gonorrhoeae was repeatedly passaged in the laboratory and assessed for large scale chromosomal rearrangements. Using gonococcal strain NCCP11945, for which there is a complete genome sequence, cultures were passaged for eight weeks in the laboratory. The resulting genomic DNA was assessed using Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis, comparing the results to the predicted results from the genome sequence data. Three cultures generated Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis patterns that varied from the genomic data and were further investigated for potential chromosomal rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Spencer-Smith
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK.
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Simon W Gould
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK.
| | - Madhuri Pulijala
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK.
| | - Lori A S Snyder
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK.
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Genomic, Transcriptomic, and Phenotypic Analyses of Neisseria meningitidis Isolates from Disease Patients and Their Household Contacts. mSystems 2017; 2:mSystems00127-17. [PMID: 29152586 PMCID: PMC5686521 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00127-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis causes meningococcal disease but is frequently carried in the throats of healthy individuals; the factors that determine whether invasive disease develops are not completely understood. We carried out detailed studies of isolates, collected from patients and their household contacts, to identify differences between commensal throat isolates and those that caused invasive disease. Though isolates were identical by laboratory typing methods, we uncovered many differences in their genomes, in gene expression, and in their interactions with host cells. In particular, we found that several carriage isolates had lost their type IV pili, a surprising finding since pili are often described as essential for colonization. However, loss of type IV pili correlated with reduced secretion of a proinflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, when meningococci were cocultured with human bronchial epithelial cells; hence, the loss of pili could provide an advantage to meningococci, by resulting in a dampened localized host immune response. Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) can cause meningococcal disease, a rapidly progressing and often fatal disease that can occur in previously healthy children. Meningococci are found in healthy carriers, where they reside in the nasopharynx as commensals. While carriage is relatively common, invasive disease, associated with hypervirulent strains, is a comparatively rare event. The basis of increased virulence in some strains is not well understood. New Zealand suffered a protracted meningococcal disease epidemic, from 1991 to 2008. During this time, a household carriage study was carried out in Auckland: household contacts of index meningococcal disease patients were swabbed for isolation of carriage strains. In many households, healthy carriers harbored strains identical, as determined by laboratory typing, to the ones infecting the associated patient. We carried out more-detailed analyses of carriage and disease isolates from a select number of households. We found that isolates, although indistinguishable by laboratory typing methods and likely closely related, had many differences. We identified multiple genome variants and transcriptional differences between isolates. These studies enabled the identification of two new phase-variable genes. We also found that several carriage strains had lost their type IV pili and that this loss correlated with reduced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) expression when cultured with epithelial cells. While nonpiliated meningococcal isolates have been previously found in carriage strains, this is the first evidence of an association between type IV pili from meningococci and a proinflammatory epithelial response. We also identified potentially important metabolic differences between carriage and disease isolates, including the sulfate assimilation pathway. IMPORTANCENeisseria meningitidis causes meningococcal disease but is frequently carried in the throats of healthy individuals; the factors that determine whether invasive disease develops are not completely understood. We carried out detailed studies of isolates, collected from patients and their household contacts, to identify differences between commensal throat isolates and those that caused invasive disease. Though isolates were identical by laboratory typing methods, we uncovered many differences in their genomes, in gene expression, and in their interactions with host cells. In particular, we found that several carriage isolates had lost their type IV pili, a surprising finding since pili are often described as essential for colonization. However, loss of type IV pili correlated with reduced secretion of a proinflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, when meningococci were cocultured with human bronchial epithelial cells; hence, the loss of pili could provide an advantage to meningococci, by resulting in a dampened localized host immune response.
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Hua X, Zhou Z, Yang Q, Shi Q, Xu Q, Wang J, Shi K, Zhao F, Sun L, Ruan Z, Jiang Y, Yu Y. Evolution of Acinetobacter baumannii In Vivo: International Clone II, More Resistance to Ceftazidime, Mutation in ptk. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1256. [PMID: 28740486 PMCID: PMC5502287 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen worldwide. A more comprehensive understanding of the within-host genomic evolution of A. baumannii would provide a molecule basis for improving treatment of A. baumannii infection. To understand the evolutionary mechanism facilitating A. baumannii survived in human body, we here reported the genomic analysis of A. baumannii isolated sampled from Chinese patients. We used whole-genome sequence of A. baumannii isolates from the same patient to determine single-nucleotide variants, insertion sequence mapping, and gene change. The MICs for 10 antimicrobial agents were determined. Motility assay and microscopy were performed on the isolated pairs harboring ptk mutations. The gene ptk encoded a putative protein tyrosine kinase involved in the production of capsular polysaccharide. Approximately half (39/86) of the strains isolated from the same patient harbored the same MLST patterns, and during the replacement of international clonal lineage II (ICL-II) and non-ICL-II strains, most of the alteration was that non-ICL-II strain was replaced by ICL-II strain (10/12). A. baumannii was resistant to major antimicrobial agents, whereas the strains were more resistant to ceftazidime, azithromycin, and sulfonamides after within-host evolution. Isolates from the ICL-II lineage displayed greater resistance to antimicrobial agents than non-ICL-II isolates. Isolates from ICL-II harbored more resistance genes and mobile elements than non-ICL-II strains. Several lineages evolved a more mucoid phenotype. Genome sequencing revealed that the phenotype was achieved by genetic changes in the ptk gene. ICL-II (especially ST195 and ST208) was the terminal destination for bacteria after within-host evolution. These results indicate that the molecular basis and the treatment for ICL-II strains needed further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou, China
| | - Zhihui Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou, China
| | - Qing Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Qiucheng Shi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou, China
| | - Qingye Xu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou, China
| | - Jianfeng Wang
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Keren Shi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou, China
| | - Feng Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Long Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hangzhou General Hospital of Zhejiang Provincial Corps, Chinese People's Armed Police ForcesHangzhou, China
| | - Zhi Ruan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou, China
| | - Yunsong Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou, China
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Bårnes GK, Brynildsrud OB, Børud B, Workalemahu B, Kristiansen PA, Beyene D, Aseffa A, Caugant DA. Whole genome sequencing reveals within-host genetic changes in paired meningococcal carriage isolates from Ethiopia. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:407. [PMID: 28545446 PMCID: PMC5445459 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3806-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Meningococcal colonization is a prerequisite for transmission and disease, but the bacterium only very infrequently causes disease while asymptomatic carriage is common. Carriage is highly dynamic, showing a great variety across time and space within and across populations, but also within individuals. The understanding of genetic changes in the meningococcus during carriage, when the bacteria resides in its natural niche, is important for understanding not only the carriage state, but the dynamics of the entire meningococcal population. Results Paired meningococcal isolates, obtained from 50 asymptomatic carriers about 2 months apart were analyzed with whole genome sequencing (WGS). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most paired isolates from the same individual were closely related, and the average and median number of allelic differences between paired isolates defined as the same strain was 35. About twice as many differences were seen between isolates from different individuals within the same sequence type (ST). In 8%, different strains were detected at different time points. A difference in ST was observed in 6%, including an individual who was found to carry three different STs over the course of 9 weeks. One individual carried different strains from the same ST. In total, 566 of 1605 cgMLST genes had undergone within-host genetic changes in one or more pairs. The most frequently changed cgMLST gene was relA that was changed in 47% of pairs. Across the whole genome, pilE, differed mostly, in 85% of the pairs. The most frequent mechanisms of genetic difference between paired isolates were phase variation and recombination, including gene conversion. Different STs showed variation with regard to which genes that were most frequently changed, mostly due to absence/presence of phase variation. Conclusions This study revealed within-host genetic differences in meningococcal isolates during short-term asymptomatic carriage. The most frequently changed genes were genes belonging to the pilin family, the restriction/modification system, opacity proteins and genes involved in glycosylation. Higher resolution genome-wide sequence typing is necessary to resolve the diversity of isolates and reveals genetic differences not discovered by traditional typing schemes, and would be the preferred choice of technology. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3806-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guro K Bårnes
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Meningococci, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ola Brønstad Brynildsrud
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bente Børud
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Meningococci, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Paul A Kristiansen
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Meningococci, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Demissew Beyene
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dominique A Caugant
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. .,WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Meningococci, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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