TABLE 1.
Longitudinal changes in expression states of phase variable meningococcal genes
| Clonal complex(es) and phasotype scorea | No. of isolates/observed period of carriage (%) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 1 mo | 2–3 mos | 5–6 mos | |
| cc174 (FetA-Opc-NadA-HpuA-PorA-NalP-MspA) | ||||
| 10 | 5 (10) | 2 (5) | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 4 (8) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 24 (50) | 22 (55) | 14 (38) | 0 |
| 7 | 8 (17) | 1 (3) | 7 (19) | 0 |
| 6 | 7 (15) | 15 (38) | 7 (19) | 15 (63) |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3) | 2 (8) |
| 0–4 | 0 | 0 | 8 (21) | 7 (29) |
| Total | 48 | 40 | 37 | 24 |
| cc60 (FetA-Opc-HmbR-HpuA-PorA-NalP-MspA) | ||||
| 8 | 6 (20) | 17 (57) | 7 (58) | 6 (100) |
| 7 | 5 (17) | 5 (17) | 1 (8) | 0 |
| 6 | 11 (37) | 8 (27) | 4 (33) | 0 |
| 5 | 8 (27) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 30 | 30 | 12 | 6 |
| cc167/cc23 (FetA-Opc-HpuA-PorA-NalP-MspA) | ||||
| 10–12 | 8 (21) | 5 (21) | 5 (14) | 0 |
| 9 | 6 (16) | 8 (33) | 11 (31) | 2 (8) |
| 8 | 2 (5) | 5 (21) | 8 (22) | 4 (17) |
| 7 | 5 (13) | 0 | 0 | 3 (13) |
| 6 | 5 (13) | 0 | 1 (3) | 2 (8) |
| 5 | 12 (32) | 6 (25) | 8 (22) | 8 (33) |
| 0–4 | 0 | 0 | 3 (8) | 5 (21) |
| Total | 38 | 24 | 36 | 24 |
| cc32 (FetA-Opc-NadA-HpuA-PorA-NalP-MspA) | ||||
| 10–12 | 6 (100) | 5 (83) | 4(67) | 3 (50) |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 (33) | 3 (50) |
| 6 | 0 | 1 (17) | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
a
The phasotype score was determined from a combination of the expression states for six to seven genes (indicated in parentheses for each clonal complex) and in Table SA8 in the supplemental material.