# Investigating Neisseria gonorrhoeae double-stranded bacteriophage

> **NIH NIH R21** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $229,411

## Abstract

Abstract
 Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogenic species. A few reports in the literature
describe three or four genomic islands encoding potential double-stranded phage genomes, and only one
manuscript reports the production of a double-stranded phage. However, there are issues with the rigor of that
report. We have also published that sublethal hydrogen peroxide treatment induces the expression of some
genes carried in these phage islands (Quillin, et al.-2018). Moreover, two saturating transposon screens failed
to isolate transposon insertions in some phage island genes (Hu, et al.-2020, Remmele, et al.-2014). We have
developed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for N. gonorrhoeae (Geslewitz, et al.-2024) and have
used it to show that repression of two of the three phage-island encoded LexA orthologs is lethal. Down-
regulation of one ortholog by CRISPRi results in the production of phage particles as assayed by transmission
electron microscopy. We will determine whether one or more phage islands can produce phage, explore
whether the two essential LexA orthologs are regulated similarly to the canonical LexA, and determine whether
these phage(s) can infect Neisseria strains or species.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11072757
- **Project number:** 1R21AI188783-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Hank S. SEIFERT
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $229,411
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-26 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11072757

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11072757, Investigating Neisseria gonorrhoeae double-stranded bacteriophage (1R21AI188783-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11072757. Licensed CC0.

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