Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-fqc5m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T21:54:59.962Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Molecular variation of meningococcal serotype 4 antigen genes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 1998

R. URWIN
Affiliation:
Manchester Public Health Laboratory, Withington Hospital, Manchester, M20 2LR Present address: Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS.
I. M. FEAVERS
Affiliation:
National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Herts. EN6 3QG
D. M. JONES
Affiliation:
Manchester Public Health Laboratory, Withington Hospital, Manchester, M20 2LR
M. C. J. MAIDEN
Affiliation:
Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS
A. J. FOX
Affiliation:
Manchester Public Health Laboratory, Withington Hospital, Manchester, M20 2LR
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Changes in the frequency of serogroup B non serotypable (B[ratio ]NT) meningococci isolated in England and Wales were investigated by T-track fingerprint analysis, DNA nucleotide sequence determination, and serotyping by whole cell ELISA and dot blot assay. Seventy-three per cent of the isolates designated as B[ratio ]NT by the Meningococcal Reference Unit (MRU) dot blot assay during 1993–4, expressed variants of the serotyping antigen, PorB, that were serotype 4 by whole cell ELISA. T-track fingerprint patterns of these and other ‘serotype 4’ isolates revealed five distinct porB alleles which were shown by nucleotide sequence determination to encode different peptide sequences. Differential binding of the ‘serotype 4’ mAbs MN14G21 and 5DC4C8G8 in whole cell ELISA and dot blot assays was the result, (i) of differences in the peptide sequence of predicted surface loop I and (ii) an amino acid deletion in predicted loop VI of the PorB protein.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1998 Cambridge University Press