ArticlePloS one2013
The distribution and 'in vivo' phase variation status of haemoglobin receptors in invasive meningococcal serogroup B disease: genotypic and phenotypic analysis.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Genomic analysis ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Maximizing bacterial survival: integrating sense-and-respond and bet-hedging mechanisms.Trends in microbiology · 2025Review
- Genomic Insights on Variation Underlying Capsule Expression in Meningococcal Carriage Isolates From University Students, United States, 2015-2016.Frontiers in microbiology · 2022Article
- Neisseria meningitidis: using genomics to understand diversity, evolution and pathogenesis.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2020Review
- Potentiation of Phase Variation in Multiple Outer-Membrane Proteins During Spread of the Hyperinvasive Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup W ST-11 Lineage.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2019Article
- Phase Variation of NadA in Invasive Neisseria meningitidis Isolates Impacts on Coverage Estimates for 4C-MenB, a MenB Vaccine.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2018Article
- Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of theJournal of bacteriology · 2018Article
- Phase-Variable Genotypes Sweetened by Glycosylation Phenotypes.Journal of bacteriology · 2018Article
- Subversion of nutritional immunity by the pathogenic Neisseriae.Pathogens and disease · 2018Review
- Article
- Regulation ofFEBS open bio · 2017Article
- Comparative Genome Sequencing Reveals Within-Host Genetic Changes in Neisseria meningitidis during Invasive Disease.PloS one · 2017Article
- Heme Synthesis and Acquisition in Bacterial Pathogens.Journal of molecular biology · 2016Review
- Structural analysis of haemoglobin binding by HpuA from the Neisseriaceae family.Nature communications · 2015Article
- How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines.Journal of immunology research · 2015Review
- Article
- Phase variation mediates reductions in expression of surface proteins during persistent meningococcal carriage.Infection and immunity · 2014Article
- Genomic and global approaches to unravelling how hypermutable sequences influence bacterial pathogenesis.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2014Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Two haemoglobin-binding proteins, HmbR and HpuAB, contribute to iron acquisition by Neisseria meningitidis. These receptors are subject to high frequency, reversible switches in gene expression--phase variation (PV)--due to mutations in homopolymeric (poly-G) repeats present in the open reading frame. The distribution and PV state of these receptors was assessed for a representative collection of isolates from invasive meningococcal disease patients of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Most of the major clonal complexes had only the HmbR receptor whilst the recently expanding ST-275-centred cluster of the ST-269 clonal complex had both receptors. At least one of the receptors was in an 'ON' configuration in 76.3% of the isolates, a finding that was largely consistent with phenotypic analyses. As PV status may change during isolation and culture of meningococci, a PCR-based protocol was utilised to confirm the expression status of the receptors within contemporaneously acquired clinical specimens (blood/cerebrospinal fluid) from the respective patients. The expression state was confirmed for all isolate/specimen pairs with <15 tract repeats indicating that the PV status of these receptors is stable during isolation. This study therefore establishes a protocol for determining in vivo PV status to aid in determining the contributions of phase variable genes to invasive meningococcal disease. Furthermore, the results of the study support a putative but non-essential role of the meningococcal haemoglobin receptors as virulence factors whilst further highlighting their vaccine candidacy.
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