Transcriptomic buffering of cryptic genetic variation contributes to meningococcal virulence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Commensal bacteria like Neisseria meningitidis sometimes cause serious disease. However, genomic comparison of hyperinvasive and apathogenic lineages did not reveal unambiguous hints towards indispensable virulence factors. Here, in a systems biological approach we compared gene expression of the invasive strain MC58 and the carriage strain α522 under different ex vivo conditions mimicking commensal and virulence compartments to assess the strain-specific impact of gene regulation on meningococcal virulence.

Results

Despite indistinguishable ex vivo phenotypes, both strains differed in the expression of over 500 genes under infection mimicking conditions. These differences comprised in particular metabolic and information processing genes as well as genes known to

SUBMITTER: Ampattu BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5383966 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature