title: Evolutionary Events Associated with an Outbreak of Meningococcal Disease in Men Who Have Sex with Men.
abstract: Meningococci spread via respiratory droplets, whereas the closely related gonococci are transmitted sexually. Several outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease have been reported in Europe and the United States among men who have sex with men (MSM). We recently identified an outbreak of serogroup C meningococcal disease among MSM in Germany and France. In this study, genomic and proteomic techniques were used to analyze the outbreak isolates. In addition, genetically identical urethritis isolates were recovered from France and Germany and included in the analysis. Genome sequencing revealed that the isolates from the outbreak among MSM and from urethritis cases belonged to a clade within clonal complex 11. Proteome analysis showed they expressed nitrite reductase, enabling anaerobic growth as previously described for gonococci. Invasive isolates from MSM, but not urethritis isolates, further expressed functional human factor H binding protein associated with enhanced survival in a newly developed transgenic mouse model expressing human factor H, a complement regulatory protein. In conclusion, our data suggest that urethritis and outbreak isolates followed a joint adaptation route including adaption to the urogenital tract.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infections Unit and National Reference Center for meningococci, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Muhamed-Kheir
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.affiliation: University of Würzburg, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Reference laboratory for meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.affiliation: University of Würzburg, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Reference laboratory for meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lappann
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infections Unit and National Reference Center for meningococci, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Veyrier
authors.affiliation: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Department of Microbial Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.affiliation: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Department of Microbial Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Dörte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Becher
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infections Unit and National Reference Center for meningococci, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ala-Eddine
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Deghmane
authors.affiliation: University of Würzburg, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Reference laboratory for meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frosch
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Immunization Unit, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Wiebke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hellenbrand
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infections Unit and National Reference Center for meningococci, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint Maurice, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Parent du Châtelet
authors.affiliation: University of Münster, Department of Periodontology, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Karola
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.affiliation: University of Münster, Department of Periodontology, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harmsen
authors.affiliation: University of Würzburg, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Reference laboratory for meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017242:Complement Factor H / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009572:Nitrite Reductases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D020543:Proteome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014526:Urethritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D017242:Complement Factor H; D009572:Nitrite Reductases