Extensive Genetic Diversity and Epidemiological Patterns of Factor H-Binding Protein Variants among <i>Neisseria meningitidis</i> in China

Zhizhou Tan; Juan Xu; Jie Che; Li Xu; Dongshan Yan; Maojun Zhang; Zhujun Shao

doi:10.3390/microorganisms12030481

Microorganisms (Feb 2024)

Extensive Genetic Diversity and Epidemiological Patterns of Factor H-Binding Protein Variants among <i>Neisseria meningitidis</i> in China

Zhizhou Tan,
Juan Xu,
Jie Che,
Li Xu,
Dongshan Yan,
Maojun Zhang,
Zhujun Shao

Affiliations

Zhizhou Tan: National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Juan Xu: National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Jie Che: National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Li Xu: National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Dongshan Yan: National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Maojun Zhang: National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Zhujun Shao: National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12030481
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 3
p. 481

Abstract

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Factor H-binding protein (fHbp) is a virulence factor expressed by Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis), the primary causative agent of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in humans. fHbp is utilized as the main component in vaccines to provide protection against IMD caused by serogroup B N. meningitidis. In order to comprehensively investigate the genetic diversity and epidemiological patterns of fHbp variants within isolates of Chinese N. meningitidis, we utilized the NEIS0349 locus, which encompasses the complete coding sequences of fHbp. This enabled us to identify allelic variants of fHbp with enhanced resolution. A total of 109 fHbp variants were identified in 1013 Chinese N. meningitidis isolates. We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree and analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of each variant. Considering both temporal and geographical distribution patterns, only four fHbp variants (v2.16, v2.18, v2.404, and v2.21) exhibited persistent nationwide prevalence during the previous decade (2011–2021). These variants were highly prevalent in both serogroup B strains from patients and healthy individuals, suggesting their potential as suitable vaccine candidates for nationwide implementation against IMD caused by serogroup B strains. Our study emphasizes the significance of conducting continuous surveillance of meningococcal strains to monitor the genetic diversity of fHbp for the purpose of vaccine development.

Published in Microorganisms

ISSN: 2076-2607 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/microorganisms

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