Open AccessAsymmetrical Distribution of Neisseria Miniature Insertion Sequence DNA Repeats among Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Neisseria Strains
Author(s) -
Eliana De Gregorio,
Chiara Abrescia,
Maria Stella Carlomagno,
Pier Paolo Di Nocera
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
infection and immunity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.508
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1070-6313
pISSN - 0019-9567
DOI - 10.1128/iai.71.7.4217-4221.2003
Subject(s) - neisseria meningitidis , biology , neisseria , insertion sequence , gene , dna , neisseriaceae , genetics , dna sequencing , microbiology and biotechnology , direct repeat , rnase p , base sequence , bacteria , transposable element , genome , rna
Neisseria miniature insertion sequences (nemis) are miniature DNA insertion sequences found in Neisseria species. Out of 57 elements closely flanking cellular genes analyzed by PCR, most were conserved in Neisseria meningitidis but not in N. lactamica strains. Since mRNAs spanning nemis are processed by RNase III at hairpins formed by element termini, gene sets could selectively be regulated in meningococci at the posttranscriptional level.