Abstract
The genome of Neisseria gonorrhoeae harbours many gene loci for the production of variant pili. Strain MS11 has two expression genes (pilE) with promoter and complete coding sequences. The remaining genes are silent (pilS) lacking the promoter and the conservative amino terminals coding sequences of pilin. The pilus genes consist of six variable minicassettes (mc's), that are flancked by strictly conserved sequences. Upon phase (P+ to P+) and antigenic (P+ to P−, or vice versa) transitions minicassettes from silent loci are transferred from silent pilus gene copies to the expression gene by gene conversion. P− variants resulting from such rearrangements still produce pilin mRNA as well as pilin, but only a few are found on the surface of those gonococci.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Haas, R. & T. F. Meyer (1986) The repertoire of silent pilus genes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Cell 44: 107–115
Hagblom, P., E. Segal, E. Billyard & M. So (1985) Intragenic recombination leads to pilus antigenic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Nature 315 156–158
Meyer, T. F., N. Mlawer & M. So (1982) Pilus expression in Neisseria gonorrhoeae involves chromosomal rearrangement. Cell 30: 45–52
Meyer, T. F., E. Billyard, R. Haas, S. Störzbach & M. So (1984) Pilus genes of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: chromosomal organisation and DNA sequence. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81: 6110–6114
Swanson, J., S. Bergström, K. Robbins, O. Barrera, D. Corwin & J. M. Koomey (1986) Gene conversion involving the pilin structural gene correlates with pilus+-pilus− changes in Neisseria gonorhoeae. Cell 47: 67–276
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Haas, R., Meyer, T.F. Molecular principles of antigenic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae . Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 53, 431–434 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00415498
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00415498