Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (GAPDH-1) Is Not Required For Optimal In Vitro Growth Of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup B

Abstract

The present study was aimed to investigate whether the GapA1, a so-called housekeeping enzyme, is required for maximal in vitro growth of N meningitis. To achieve the goals, a GapA1 knock-out mutant was created in N. meningitidis using an inverse PCR and allelic exchange methodology. Phenotypic analysis of GapA1-deficient mutant strains such as growth profiling experiments showed that the GapA1-deficient mutant grew at the same rate (in broth culture and on solid media) as the wild-type strain, suggesting that GapA1 is not required for maximal growth of N. meningitidis under the in vitro conditions tested. Visual inspection of colony morphology or bacterial cell morphology using light microscopy showed no difference between wild-type and GapA1 deficient mutant strains.In summary, despite being a central enzyme in the glycolytic cycle, GapA1 is not required for in vitro growth of N. meningitidis sero-group B suggesting its additional (moonlighting) roles in pathogenesis of meningococcal disease.