Comparative genomic analyses of Chinese serogroup W ST-11 complex Neisseria meningitidis isolates. Issue 1 (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, Bingqing; Lucidarme, Jay; Bai, Xilian; Guo, Pengbo; Zhang, Aiyu; Borrow, Ray; Gao, Wanying; Xu, Li; Gao, Yuan; Shao, Zhujun
• Is Part Of: Journal of infection. Volume 80:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 54
• Page End: 60
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Neisseria meningitidis -- Serogroup W -- ST-11 complex -- China; Infection -- Periodicals; Bacterial Infections -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2019.08.019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-4453

Abstract

Highlights: Chinese W:cc11 isolates formed a novel cc11 sublineage which was distinct from the Hajj-strain sublineage and the South American-strain sublineage. Chinese W:cc11 isolates exclusively formed two closely related subclusters. Isolates from North Africa and the UK were closest to the origin of the Chinese subclusters. Summary: Although serogroup W ST-11 complex (cc11) (W:cc11) Neisseria meningitidis has been widespread in China over the past ten years, its origin and genetic relatedness has not yet been described. In this study, we described the genetic relatedness and discuss the possible origin of Chinese W:cc11 isolates by comparing their genome sequences with those of other cc11 strains globally. Comparative genomic analysis with geo-temporally diverse cc11 isolates showed that the Chinese W:cc11 isolates exclusively formed two closely related subclusters within a distinct sublineage (proposed as the Chinese-strain sublineage) of lineage 11.1 close to the interface between the Hajj-strain sublineage and the South American-strain sublineage. Several isolates from Africa and Europe were closely related to the Chinese subclusters which were largely segregated from one another among distinct provinces of China. No alleles were identified that were unique to the Chinese isolates as a whole, though each subcluster possessed unique alleles differentiating itself from the other subcluster as well as closely related isolates within the extended sublineage. Three genes differentiated the two subclusters with allele combinations that were each present among the non-Chinese isolates within the wider sublineage. These results indicate that the Chinese W:cc11 isolates formed part of a previously undescribed W:cc11 sublineage that is closely related to, but distinct from, the Hajj-strain sublineage and South American-strain sublineage. The geographical source of the Chinese subclusters was indeterminate based on available data.