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Identification of Neisseria meningitidis Genetic Loci Involved in the Modulation of Phase Variation Frequencies

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia

Received 8 February 2004/ Returned for modification 21 April 2004/ Accepted 4 August 2004

It has been proposed that increased phase variation frequencies in Neisseria meningitidis augment transmissibility and invasiveness. A Himar1 mariner transposon mutant library was constructed in serogroup A N. meningitidis and screened for clones with increased phase variation frequencies. Insertions increasing the frequency of slippage events within mononucleotide repeat tracts were identified in three known phase variation-modulating genes (mutS, mutL, and uvrD), as well as six additional loci (pilP, fbpA, fbpB, NMA1233, and two intergenic regions). The implications of these insertion mutations are discussed.

Editor: J. N. Weiser

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