The transcriptome response of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to hydrogen peroxide reveals genes with previously uncharacterized roles in oxidative damage protection.

ABSTRACT: Symptomatic gonococcal infection, caused by the pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc), is characterized by the influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) to the site of infection. Although PMNs possess several mechanisms of oxidative killing, intact Gc can be found associated with PMNs, suggesting that gonococcal defences against oxidative stress are crucial for its ability to evade killing by PMNs. We used microarrays to identify genes that were differentially expressed after transient exposure of Gc to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Of the 75 genes found to be upregulated after H2O2 treatment, over one-quarter, including two of the most highly upregulated genes (NGO1686 and NGO554), were predicted to encode proteins with unknown functions. Further characterization of a subset of these upregu

SUBMITTER: Stohl EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2612779 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature