Identification of Neisseria meningitidis genetic loci involved in the modulation of phase variation frequencies

Infect Immun. 2004 Nov;72(11):6743-7. doi: 10.1128/IAI.72.11.6743-6747.2004.

Abstract

It has been proposed that increased phase variation frequencies in Neisseria meningitidis augment transmissibility and invasiveness. A Himar1 mariner transposon mutant library was constructed in serogroup A N. meningitidis and screened for clones with increased phase variation frequencies. Insertions increasing the frequency of slippage events within mononucleotide repeat tracts were identified in three known phase variation-modulating genes (mutS, mutL, and uvrD), as well as six additional loci (pilP, fbpA, fbpB, NMA1233, and two intergenic regions). The implications of these insertion mutations are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Chromosomes, Bacterial
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Gene Library
  • Humans
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional*
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A / classification
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A / genetics*
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / genetics*
  • Species Specificity
  • Transposases

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Transposases