Evolutionary analysis of gyrA gene from Neisseria meningitidis bacterial strains of clonal complex 4821 collected in China between 1978 and 2016

Pan Zhao; Li Xu; Aiyu Zhang; Bingqing Zhu; Zhujun Shao

doi:10.1186/s12866-020-01751-5

BMC Microbiology (Mar 2020)

Evolutionary analysis of gyrA gene from Neisseria meningitidis bacterial strains of clonal complex 4821 collected in China between 1978 and 2016

Pan Zhao,
Li Xu,
Aiyu Zhang,
Bingqing Zhu,
Zhujun Shao

Affiliations

Pan Zhao: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Li Xu: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Aiyu Zhang: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Bingqing Zhu: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Zhujun Shao: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-020-01751-5
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 20, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background Neisseria meningitidis (N.meningitidis) bacteria belonging to clonal complex 4821 (CC4821) have been mainly reported in China and have been characterized by a high resistance rate to ciprofloxacin (CIP). The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of the DNA gyrase A (gyrA) gene from N.meningitidis CC4821 strains collected in China between 1978 and 2016. The complete sequence of gyrA gene from 77 strains are reported in this study and analyzed in the context of publicly available sequences from N. meningitidis of other CCs as well as other Neisseria species. Results The phylogenetic analysis of CC4821 gyrA gene reveals at least 5 distinct genetic clusters. These clusters are not CC4821-specific showing that gyrA evolution is independent of CC4821 evolution. Some clusters contain sequences from other Neisseria species. Recombination within N.meningitidis strains and between Neisseria species was identified in SimPlot analysis. Finally, amino acid substitutions within GyrA protein were analyzed. Only one position, 91 (83 in E.coli gyrA gene), was linked to CIP resistance. Thirty-one additional putative resistance markers were identified, as amino acid substitutions were only found in resistant strains. Conclusions The evolution of gyrA gene of CC4821 N.meningitidis strains is not dependent on CC4821 evolution or on CIP resistance phenotype. Only amino acid 91 is linked to CIP resistance phenotype. Finally, recombination inter- and intra-species is likely to result in the acquisition of various resistance markers, 31 of them being putatively mapped in the present study. Analyzing the evolution of gyrA gene within CC4821 strains is critical to monitor the CIP resistance phenotype and the acquisition of new resistance markers. Such studies are necessary for the control of the meningococcal disease and the development of new drugs targeting DNA gyrase.

Published in BMC Microbiology

ISSN: 1471-2180 (Online)
Publisher: BMC
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmicrobiol/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords