Genetic relationships among serogroup B: serotype 4 Neisseria meningitidis strains

Abstract

We compared the results obtained by serotyping of PorB epitopes using an expanded panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) including mAb 7 and mAb 10, with results obtained by RFLP of rRNA genes (ribotyping). The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between phenotypic- and genotypic- methods for typing N. meningitidis. The ribotypes obtained using ClaI or EcoRV endonucleases grouped the strains in seven and two different patterns, respectively. This additional characterization of PorB epitopes improved the correlation between these two methods of typing N. meningitidis.

Keywords

• Neisseria meningitidis
• Serogroup B
• Serotype 4
• Ribotyping
• Strain differentiation