The Neisseria meningitidis Urethritis Clade (NmUC) Acts as a "Chimeric Pathogen" During Infection of Primary, Human Male, Urethral Epithelial Cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Male urethritis cases, caused by a novel clade of nongroupable Neisseria meningitidis (NmUC, "the clade"), have been reported globally.

Methods

To test whether genetic features unique to NmUC confer a colonization and survival advantage to NmUC during urethral infection, NmUC, gonococcal, and nonclade meningococcal strains were comparatively evaluated in primary, human male, urethral epithelial cell (UEC) infection studies.

Results

NmUC strains were more invasive in UECs than the gonococcal strains tested, which could not be attributed to loss of capsule expression alone. Whereas gonococci and NmUC strains survived and proliferated within UECs, negligible survival was observed for nonclade meningococcal strains. NmUC infection of UECs was impaired when host

SUBMITTER: Tzeng YL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12247817 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature