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Neisseria meningitidis; clones, carriage, and disease

R C Read1

  • 1Clinical and Experimental Sciences and NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.

Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|April 29, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Neisseria meningitidis causes meningococcal disease and is studied using molecular methods. Genetic diversity in the human nasopharynx drives antigenic variation and can lead to widespread epidemics.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Neisseria meningitidis is a significant public health threat causing meningococcal disease.
  • The organism's epidemiology is extensively studied using molecular techniques.
  • The human nasopharynx is the primary ecological niche for N. meningitidis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis.
  • To understand the genetic diversity and evolution of meningococcal isolates.
  • To correlate genetic characteristics with invasive potential and epidemic spread.

Main Methods:

  • Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for classifying N. meningitidis into clonal complexes.
  • Whole genome sequencing (WGS) for detailed genomic analysis.
  • Utilizing the PubMLST database for phenotypic, genotypic, and epidemiological data.

Main Results:

  • Carrier isolates exhibit greater genetic diversity compared to hyperinvasive lineages.
  • Horizontal gene exchange and recombination contribute to antigenic diversity within clonal complexes.
  • Successful clones demonstrate global dissemination and association with epidemic invasive disease.

Conclusions:

  • Molecular epidemiology, including MLST and WGS, is crucial for understanding Neisseria meningitidis.
  • Genetic diversity and horizontal gene exchange in the nasopharynx are key drivers of meningococcal evolution and virulence.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is vital for controlling meningococcal disease outbreaks.
Keywords:
Clonal complexesNeisseria meningitidismolecular epidemiologyserogroupvaccine

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