NC_011035:566980 Neisseria gonorrhoeae NCCP11945 chromosome, complete genome
Host Lineage: Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Neisseria; Neisseriaceae; Neisseriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Neisseria gonorrhoeae NCCP11945 was isolated in 2002 from a vaginal smear of a Korean patient. This is a multidrug-resistant strain. One of two pathogenic Neisseria, this species causes the sexually transmitted disease (STD) gonorrhea, which is the leading reportable STD in adults in the USA. This human-specific organism colonizes and invades the mucosal surface of the urogenital epithelium, crosses the epithelial barrier, and ends up multiplying on the basement membrane. Pathogenic functions include the antigenically variable type IV pilus and the opacity (Opa) proteins. The Opa proteins are responsible for the opaque colony phenotype due to the tight junctions between adjacent Neisseria, and are also responsible for tight adherence to host cells. This organism, like Neisseria meningitidis, is also naturally competent for DNA uptake.