structural:reformatting, structural:summarization, quality:correction
Genetic transformation

N. meningititis colonizes the nasopharyngeal mucosa, which is rich in macrophages. Upon their activation, macrophages produce superoxide (O) and hydrogen peroxide (H O). Thus N. meningitidis is likely to encounter oxidative stress during its life cycle. Consequently, an important benefit of genetic transformation to N. meningitidis may be the maintenance of the recombination and repair machinery of the cell that removes oxidative DNA damages such as those caused by reactive oxygen. This is consistent with the more general idea that transformation benefits bacterial pathogens by facilitating repair of DNA damages produced by the oxidative defenses of the host during infection.