A large genomic island allows Neisseria meningitidis to utilize propionic acid, with implications for colonization of the human nasopharynx. Issue 2 (27th June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Catenazzi, Maria Chiara E.; Jones, Helen; Wallace, Iain; Clifton, Jacqueline; Chong, James P. J.; Jackson, Matthew A.; Macdonald, Sandy; Edwards, James; Moir, James W. B.
• Is Part Of: Molecular microbiology. Volume 93:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 346
• Page End: 355
• Publication Date: 2014-06-27
• Subjects: Molecular microbiology -- Periodicals; 572.829
• DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12664
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-382X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <p> <italic>N</italic> <italic>eisseria meningitidis</italic> is an important human pathogen that is capable of killing within hours of infection. Its normal habitat is the nasopharynx of adult humans. Here we identify a genomic island (the <italic>prp</italic> gene cluster) in <italic>N</italic><italic>. meningitidis</italic> that enables this species to utilize propionic acid as a supplementary carbon source during growth, particularly under nutrient poor growth conditions. The <italic>prp</italic> gene cluster encodes enzymes for a methylcitrate cycle. Novel aspects of the methylcitrate cycle in <italic>N</italic><italic>. meningitidis</italic> include a propionate kinase which was purified and characterized, and a putative propionate transporter. This genomic island is absent from the close relative of <italic>N</italic><italic>. meningitidis</italic>, the commensal <italic>N</italic><italic>eisseria lactamica</italic>, which chiefly colonizes infants not adults. We reason that the possession of the <italic>prp</italic> genes provides a metabolic advantage to <italic>N</italic><italic>. meningitidis</italic> in the adult oral cavity, which is rich in propionic acid‐generating bacteria. Data from classical microbiological and sequence‐based microbiome studies provide several lines of supporting evidence that <italic>N</italic><italic>. meningitidis</italic> colonization is correlated with propionic acid generating bacteria, with a strong correlation between <italic>prp</italic>‐containing <italic>N</italic><italic>eisseria</italic> and propionic acid generating bacteria from the genus <italic>P</italic><italic>orphyromonas</italic>, and that this may explain adolescent/adult colonization by <italic>N</italic><italic>. meningitidis</italic>.</p> </abstract>