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Evolutionary Events Associated with an Outbreak of Meningococcal Disease in Men Who Have Sex with Men

Muhamed-Kheir Taha1, Heike Claus2, Martin Lappann2

  • 1Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infections Unit and National Reference Center for meningococci, Paris, France.

Plos One
|May 12, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Meningococcal disease outbreaks in men who have sex with men (MSM) were linked to urethritis isolates. Both strains shared genetic traits, suggesting a joint adaptation to the urogenital tract.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Proteomics

Background:

  • Neisseria meningitidis (meningococci) spread via respiratory droplets, while Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococci) transmit sexually.
  • Outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease have been reported among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Europe and the US.
  • A specific outbreak of serogroup C meningococcal disease among MSM in Germany and France was recently identified.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze outbreak meningococcal isolates using genomic and proteomic techniques.
  • To compare outbreak isolates with genetically identical urethritis isolates from the same regions.
  • To investigate the adaptation mechanisms of meningococci in different transmission routes.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequencing of outbreak and urethritis isolates.
  • Proteome analysis to identify expressed proteins.
  • Functional analysis using a transgenic mouse model expressing human factor H.

Main Results:

  • Both outbreak and urethritis isolates belonged to a specific clade within clonal complex 11.
  • Proteome analysis revealed nitrite reductase expression in both isolate types, enabling anaerobic growth.
  • Invasive MSM isolates, but not urethritis isolates, expressed functional human factor H binding protein, enhancing survival in the mouse model.

Conclusions:

  • Urethritis and outbreak meningococcal isolates share a common evolutionary path.
  • Adaptation to the urogenital tract appears to be a key factor in the joint adaptation route.
  • The expression of human factor H binding protein is crucial for meningococcal survival during invasive disease in MSM.

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