Genomic rearrangements in Neisseria meningitidis strains of the ET-5 complex

A physical map of the chromosome of Neisseria meningitidis strain 44/76, which belongs to the epidemic clone ET-5, was constructed. DNA fragments obtained after SfiI and NheI digestion were resolved by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The overall arrangement of 26 genetic markers localized on the 2.3-Mb chromosome was conserved in comparison with that in meningococcal strains B1940 and Z2491. Simplified physical maps of 29 additional strains belonging to the ET-5 complex isolated from various parts of the world were compared with that of strain 44/76. Ten distinct patterns of hybridization were identified. While two of the seven probes hybridized to fragments of the same size in all strains, the remaining probes hybridized to different fragments, in some cases to fragments not adjacent on the chromosome of 44/76. These results indicated the occurrence of genetic rearrangements in the genome of the ET-5 meningococcal clone in the course of its epidemic spread.