Ca. Genco et al., GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE IRON-BINDING PROTEIN (FBP) GENE OF THE PATHOGENIC AND COMMENSAL NEISSERIA, FEMS microbiology letters, 116(2), 1994, pp. 123-129
The pathogenic Neisseria and most commensal Neisseria species produce
an iron-binding protein (Fbp) when grown under iron-limited conditions
. In the current study, we confirmed the presence of Fbp, as well as D
NA sequences homologous to the gonococcal fbp, in strains of N. gonorr
hoeae, N. meningitidis, N. cinerea, N. lactamica, N.subflava, N.kochii
and N. polysaccharea. The fbp genes from these strains were amplified
by the polymerase chain reaction, digested with StuI or RsaI, and the
restriction patterns examined. The patterns for the gonococcal and me
ningococcal fbp were virtually identical; however, variations were obs
erved in the fbp sequences of the commensal Neisseria species. N. flav
escens, N. mucosa, N. sicca, N. ovis and Branhamella catarrhalis, did
not produce Fbp as detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide g
el electrophoresis and reactivity with an Fbp specific monoclonal anti
body, nor did they hybridize to an fbp-specific DNA probe.