Necessity of Meningococcal γ-Glutamyl Aminopeptidase for Neisseria meningitidis Growth in Rat Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) and CSF-Like Medium

Abstract

ABSTRACT The growth of a γ-glutamyl aminopeptidase (GGT)-deficient Neisseria meningitidis strain was much slower than that of the parent strain in rat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in a synthetic CSF-mimicking medium, and the growth failure was suppressed by the addition of cysteine. These results suggested that, in the environment of cysteine shortage, meningococcal GGT provided an advantage for meningococcal multiplication by supplying cysteine from environmental γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl peptides.