Deletion of the Correia element in the mtr gene complex of Neisseria meningitidis.
The mtr gene complex in Neisseria meningitidis encodes an efflux pump that is responsible for export of antibacterial hydrophobic agents. The promoter region of the mtrCDE operon harbours an insertion sequence known as a Correia element, and a binding site for the integration host factor (IHF) is present at the centre of the Correia element. It has been suggested that the expression of the mtrCDE operon in meningococci is subject to transcriptional regulation by the IHF and post-transcriptional regulation by cleavage in the inverted repeat of the Correia element. The promoter region of the mtrCDE operon as well as the association of changes at that point with decreased susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs in 606 Neisseria meningitidis strains were analysed in this study. Two different deletions were present in the analysed region. The first one, found in seven strains, corresponded to absence of the Correia element. The second one, affecting the -10 region and first 100 bp of the mtrR gene and present in 57 isolates, was only found in ST-1624 isolates. None of the deletions were associated with decreased susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs. Although most of the meningococcal strains carry the Correia element at that position, its deletion is not an exception.
Reference Laboratory for Meningococci, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Rocío
R
Enríquez
Reference Laboratory for Meningococci, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Raquel
R
Abad
Centro Nacional de Referencia en Bacteriología (INCIENSA), San José, Costa Rica.
Grettel
G
Chanto
Bacteriología, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas (INEI-ANLIS) Dr C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Alejandra
A
Corso
Reference Laboratory for Meningococci, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Raquel
R
Cruces
Unidad de Medicamentos Esenciales, Vacunas y Tecnologías de Salud, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO), Quito, Ecuador.
Jean Marc
JM
Gabastou
Bacteriology Branch, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.
María Cecilia
MC
Gorla
Bacteriología, Instituto de Salud Pública (ISP), Santiago de Chile, Chile.
Aurora
A
Maldonado
Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Bogotá, Colombia.
Jaime
J
Moreno
Global Scientific & Medical Affairs, Sanofi-Pasteur, Lyon, France.
Erwan
E
Muros-Le Rouzic
Bacteriología, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas (INEI-ANLIS) Dr C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cecilia
C
Sorhouet
Reference Laboratory for Meningococci, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Julio A
JA
Vázquez
D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins