Logo image
The Host-Pathogen Interactions and Epicellular Lifestyle of Neisseria meningitidis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The Host-Pathogen Interactions and Epicellular Lifestyle of Neisseria meningitidis

A. Mikucki, N.R. McCluskey and C.M. Kahler
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, Vol.12, Art. 862935
2022
pdf
Neisseria meningitidis.pdfDownloadView
Published (Version of Record) Open Access
url
Free to Read *No subscription requiredView

Abstract

Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative diplococcus and a transient commensal of the human nasopharynx. It shares and competes for this niche with a number of other Neisseria species including N. lactamica, N. cinerea and N. mucosa. Unlike these other members of the genus, N. meningitidis may become invasive, crossing the epithelium of the nasopharynx and entering the bloodstream, where it rapidly proliferates causing a syndrome known as Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD). IMD progresses rapidly to cause septic shock and meningitis and is often fatal despite aggressive antibiotic therapy. While many of the ways in which meningococci survive in the host environment have been well studied, recent insights into the interactions between N. meningitidis and the epithelial, serum, and endothelial environments have expanded our understanding of how IMD develops. This review seeks to incorporate recent work into the established model of pathogenesis. In particular, we focus on the competition that N. meningitidis faces in the nasopharynx from other Neisseria species, and how the genetic diversity of the meningococcus contributes to the wide range of inflammatory and pathogenic potentials observed among different lineages.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Metrics

453 File views/ downloads
75 Record Views

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.23 Antibiotics & Antimicrobials
1.23.714 Neisseria/Haemophilus
Web Of Science research areas
Immunology
Microbiology
ESI research areas
Microbiology
Logo image