{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T08:42:23Z","timestamp":1790757743828,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,12]],"date-time":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1670803200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium that colonizes in the human nasopharynx, occasionally causes invasive meningococcal disease leading to meningitis or septicemia. Different serogroups and lineages (clonal complexes) are related to the occurrence and epidemiology of N. meningitidis. Despite vaccines for most serogroups, N. meningitidis lineages causing unusual clinical manifestations and a higher fatality rate compared to other lineages have been reported in South America. The present study focused on exploring the diversity of N. meningitidis prophages from South America and their relationship with the epidemiological variables of these strains. We found a high diversity of prophages among the different clonal complexes. By comparing them with previously described N. meningitidis phages and prophages, we revealed groups of prophages sharing similar compositions, which could be useful for prophage comparison in N. meningitidis. Furthermore, we observed a high correlation between the prophage content and epidemiological features, e.g., pathogenicity or clonal complex. Additionally, a distinctive filamentous prophage named here as IMSAR-11 (Invasive Meningococci from South America Related to cc11) was identified. Interestingly, two versions of IMSAR-11, circular and chromosomally integrated, were found. Overall, this study reinforces the importance of the genomic characterization of circulating N. meningitidis lineages to generate new targets for lineage monitoring, diagnosis, or appropriateness of vaccine development. Further studies are necessary to understand the role of these prophages in the persistence, dispersal, and virulence of N. meningitidis in the world.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms232415731","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,12]],"date-time":"2022-12-12T01:42:27Z","timestamp":1670809347000},"page":"15731","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Comprehensive Genome Analysis of Neisseria meningitidis from South America Reveals a Distinctive Pathogenicity-Related Prophage Repertoire"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6836-4068","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David","family":"Madariaga-Troncoso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6362-3529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Benjamin","family":"Leyton-Carcaman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Matias","family":"Garcia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Molecular Applied Biology, Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7219-3823","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mikihiko","family":"Kawai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Interdisciplinary Environment, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9136-0041","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michel","family":"Abanto Marin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-019-0282-6","article-title":"Neisseria meningitidis: Using Genomics to Understand Diversity, Evolution and Pathogenesis","volume":"18","author":"Caugant","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. 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