Description:

Neisseria meningitidis, the causative agent of meningococcal meningitis, is one of the most important medical emergencies worldwide with 500,000 cases occuring every year, accounting for 50,000 deaths. The ability of certain strains to cause epidemics and the fulminant course of infection justify the fear meningococcal disease inspires in communities subjected to outbreaks.

We are determining the complete genome sequence of N. meningitidis 8013, a serogroup C strain isolated in 1989 from the blood of a patient. In parallel, we are sequencing and maping the transposon insertions sites for 4,458 different transposition mutants of 8013. Sequencing and the informatics part are done in collaboration by all partners.

The availability of the genome sequence and the position of more than 4,000 transposon insertions, together with the recently published genomic sequences of N. meningitidis Z2491 (serogroup A) and MC58 (serogroup B), will provide a new starting point for studies in the field.

Sequencing strategy:

The genome size is estimated at 2,1 Mb. The whole-genome random sequencing strategy is followed. A 6x coverage of the genome is foreseen in the shotgun phase. For the finishing phase the two published genome sequences of N. meningitidis will be of great help. The progress of this project is summarised in the section Neisseria meningitidi statistics.

For inquiries on Neisseria meningitidis sequences, please contact Philippe Glaser (pglaser@pasteur.fr).