This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Unemo, M.
Right arrow Articles by Fredlund, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Unemo, M.
Right arrow Articles by Fredlund, H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2002, p. 3741-3749, Vol. 40, No. 10
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.10.3741-3749.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Molecular Epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Sequence Analysis of the porB Gene Confirms Presence of Two Circulating Strains

Magnus Unemo,1* Per Olcén,1 Torsten Berglund,2,3 Jan Albert,4 and Hans Fredlund1,5

National Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria,1 Unit for Infectious Disease Control, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro,5 Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute,2 Department of Clinical Virology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm,4 Unit for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Solna, Sweden3

Received 6 May 2002/ Returned for modification 19 June 2002/ Accepted 10 July 2002

The phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains fluctuate over time both locally and globally, and highly discriminative and precise characterization of the strains is essential. Conventional characterization of N. gonorrhoeae strains for epidemiological purposes is mostly based on phenotypic methods, which have some inherent limitations. In the present study sequence analysis of porB1b gene sequences was used for examination of the genetic relationships among N. gonorrhoeae strains. Substantial genetic heterogeneity was identified in the porB genes of serovar IB-2 isolates (8.1% of the nucleotide sites were polymorphic) and serovar IB-3 isolates (5.2% of the nucleotide sites were polymorphic) as well as between isolates of different serovars. The highest degree of diversity was identified in the gene segments encoding the surface-exposed loops of the mature PorB protein. Phylogenetic analysis of the porB1b gene sequences confirmed previous findings that have indicated the circulation of one N. gonorrhoeae strain each of serovar IB-2 and serovar IB-3 in the Swedish community. These strains caused the majority of the cases in two domestic core groups comprising homosexual men and young heterosexuals, respectively, and were also detected in other patients. The phylogenetic analyses of porB gene sequences in the present study showed congruence, but not complete identity, with previous results obtained by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of the same isolates. In conclusion, porB gene sequencing can be used as a molecular epidemiological tool for examination of genetic relationships among emerging and circulating N. gonorrhoeae strains, as well as for confirmation or discrimination of clusters of gonorrhea cases.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Örebro University Hospital, SE-701 85 Örebro, Sweden. Phone: 46 19 602 15 20. Fax: 46 19 127 416. E-mail: magnus.unemo{at}orebroll.se.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2002, p. 3741-3749, Vol. 40, No. 10
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.10.3741-3749.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Unemo, M., Fasth, O., Fredlund, H., Limnios, A., Tapsall, J. (2009). Phenotypic and genetic characterization of the 2008 WHO Neisseria gonorrhoeae reference strain panel intended for global quality assurance and quality control of gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance for public health purposes. J Antimicrob Chemother 63: 1142-1151 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Liao, M., Helgeson, S., Gu, W.-M., Yang, Y., Jolly, A. M., Dillon, J.-A. R. (2009). Comparison of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Multiantigen Sequence Typing and porB Sequence Analysis for Identification of Clusters of N. gonorrhoeae Isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 489-491 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Liao, M., Bell, K., Gu, W.-M., Yang, Y., Eng, N. F., Fu, W., Wu, L., Zhang, C.-G., Chen, Y., Jolly, A. M., Dillon, J.-A. R. (2008). Clusters of circulating Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains and association with antimicrobial resistance in Shanghai. J Antimicrob Chemother 61: 478-487 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lindberg, R., Fredlund, H., Nicholas, R., Unemo, M. (2007). Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates with Reduced Susceptibility to Cefixime and Ceftriaxone: Association with Genetic Polymorphisms in penA, mtrR, porB1b, and ponA. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 2117-2122 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Unemo, M, Palmer, H M, Blackmore, T, Herrera, G, Fredlund, H, Limnios, A, Nguyen, N, Tapsall, J (2007). Global transmission of prolyliminopeptidase-negative Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains: implications for changes in diagnostic strategies. Sex. Transm. Infect. 83: 47-51 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Perez-Losada, M., Viscidi, R. P., Demma, J. C., Zenilman, J., Crandall, K. A. (2005). Population Genetics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a High-Prevalence Community Using a Hypervariable Outer Membrane porB and 13 Slowly Evolving Housekeeping Genes. Mol Biol Evol 22: 1887-1902 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Unemo, M., Olcen, P., Jonasson, J., Fredlund, H. (2004). Molecular Typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates by Pyrosequencing of Highly Polymorphic Segments of the porB Gene. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 2926-2934 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Unemo, M., Olcen, P., Albert, J., Fredlund, H. (2003). Comparison of Serologic and Genetic porB-Based Typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Consequences for Future Characterization. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 4141-4147 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»