Tzeng, Yih Ling, Sannigrahi, Soma, Berman, Zachary et al. (6 more authors) (2023) Acquisition of Gonococcal AniA-NorB Pathway by the Neisseria meningitidis Urethritis Clade Confers Denitrifying and Microaerobic Respiration Advantages for Urogenital Adaptation. Infection and Immunity. 23. ISSN 0019-9567
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis historically has been an infrequent and sporadic cause of urethritis and other urogenital infections. However, a nonencapsulated meningococcal clade belonging to the hyperinvasive clonal complex 11.2 lineage has recently emerged and caused clusters of urethritis cases in the United States and other countries. One of the genetic signatures of the emerging N. meningitidis urethritis clade (NmUC) is a chromosomal gene conversion event resulting in the acquisition of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae denitrification apparatus—the N. gonorrhoeae alleles encoding the nitrite reductase AniA, the nitric oxide (NO) reductase NorB, and the intergenic promoter region. The biological importance of the N. gonorrhoeae AniA-NorB for adaptation of the NmUC to a new environmental niche is investigated herein. We found that oxygen consumption, nitrite utilization, and NO production were significantly altered by the conversion event, resulting in different denitrifying aerobic and microaerobic growth of the clade. Further, transcription of aniA and norB in NmUC isolates differed from canonical N. meningitidis, and important polymorphisms within the intergenic region, which influenced aniA promoter activity of the NmUC, were identified. The contributions of three known meningococcal regulators (NsrR, FNR, and NarQP) in controlling the denitrification pathway and endogenous NO metabolism were distinct. Overall, transcription of aniA was dampened relative to canonical N. meningitidis, and this correlated with the lower NO accumulation in the clade. Denitrification and microaerobic respiration were bolstered, and protection against host-derived NO was likely enhanced. The acquisition of the N. gonorrhoeae denitrification pathway by the NmUC supports the clade’s adaptation and survival in a microaerobic urogenital environment.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | Copyright © 2023 Tzeng et al. |
Keywords: | denitrification,Neisseria gonorrhoeae,Neisseria meningitidis,NO,urethritis |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Centre for Immunology and Infection (CII) (York) The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Biology (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 21 Jan 2025 18:17 |
Last Modified: | 22 Jan 2025 00:25 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00079-23 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1128/iai.00079-23 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:222114 |
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Description: Acquisition of Gonococcal AniA-NorB Pathway by the Neisseria meningitidis Urethritis Clade Confers Denitrifying and Microaerobic Respiration Advantages for Urogenital Adaptation
Licence: CC-BY 2.5