The Gonococcal Genetic Island defines distinct sub-populations of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

ABSTRACT: The incidence of gonorrhoea is increasing at an alarming pace, and therapeutic options continue to narrow as a result of worsening drug resistance. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is naturally competent, allowing the organism to adapt rapidly to selection pressures including antibiotics. A sub-population of N. gonorrhoeae carries the Gonococcal Genetic Island (GGI), which encodes a type IV secretion system (T4SS) that secretes chromosomal DNA. Previous research has shown that the GGI increases transformation efficiency in vitro, but the extent to which it contributes to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) during infection is unknown. Here we analysed genomic data from clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae to better characterize GGI+ and GGI- sub-populations and to delineate patt

SUBMITTER: Youngblom MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10272882 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature