Open AccessLack of antigenic diversification of major outer membrane proteins during clonal waves of N eisseria meningitidis serogroup A colonization and disease
Author(s) -
Huber Charlotte A.,
Pflüger Valentin,
Hamid AbdulWahab M.,
Forgor Abudulai A.,
Hodgson Abraham,
Sié Ali,
Junghanss Thomas,
Pluschke Gerd
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pathogens and disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.983
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2049-632X
DOI - 10.1111/2049-632x.12000
Subject(s) - neisseria meningitidis , biology , antigenic variation , virology , antigen , bacterial outer membrane , meningococcal disease , microbiology and biotechnology , outbreak , herd immunity , context (archaeology) , meningococcal vaccine , gene , genetics , vaccination , bacteria , escherichia coli , paleontology
In particular in the ‘meningitis belt’ of sub‐ S aharan A frica, epidemic meningococcal meningitis is a severe public health problem. In the past decades, serogroup A lineages have been the dominant etiologic agents, but also other serogroups have caused outbreaks. A comprehensive vaccine based on subcapsular outer membrane proteins ( OMP s) is not available. Here, we have investigated whether meningococcal populations overcome herd immunity by changing antigenic properties of their OMP s. Meningococcal isolates were collected in the context of longitudinal studies in G hana between 2002 and 2008 and in B urkina F aso between 2006 and 2007. Serogroup A strains isolated during two clonal waves of colonization and disease showed no diversification in the genes encoding their PorA , PorB , and FetA proteins. However, we detected occasional allelic exchange of opa genes, as well as wide variation in the number of intragenic tandem repeats, showing that phase variation of Opa protein expression is a frequent event. Altogether we observed a remarkable antigenic stability of the PorA , PorB and FetA proteins over years. Our results indicate that while herd immunity may be responsible for the disappearance of meningococcal clones over time, it is not a strong driving force for antigenic diversification of the major OMP s analyzed here.