Characterization of Neisseria cinerea, a nonpathogenic species isolated on Martin-Lewis medium selective for pathogenic Neisseria spp

Abstract

This strain, NRL 32165, did not produce detectable acid from glucose, maltose, sucrose, fructose, mannitol, or lactose in either cystine Trypticase agar (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.) or modified oxidation-fermentation medium and was identified presumptively as a glucose-negative Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain, but was identified later as Neisseria cinerea on the basis of its biochemical reactions. Nitrate was not reduced, nitrite (0.001%, wt/vol) was reduced, and polysaccharide was not produced from sucrose. Proline, arginine, and cystine-cysteine were required for growth on defined medium. Strain NRL 32165 did not react with antigonococcal protein I monoclonal antibodies and did not produce immunoglobulin A protease. In DNA:DNA homology studies with N. gonorrhoeae NRL 8038 (F62) and N. cinerea type strain NRL 30003, strain NRL 32165 showed 95% homology relative to N. cinerea and 44% homology relative to N. gonorrhoeae. Thus, the identity of strain NRL 32165 was confirmed as N. cinerea (von Lingelsheim 1906) Murray 1939. Of all Neisseria spp., N. cinerea is most likely to be misidentified as a glucose-negative N. gonorrhoeae strain. Commensal colistin-susceptible Neisseria spp. and Branhamella catarrhalis are only rarely isolated on media selective for the pathogenic Neisseria spp., Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis, and are differentiated on the basis of their cultural characteristics, distinctive sugar utilization reactions, ability to reduce nitrate, and ability to produce polysaccharide from sucrose. According to current literature (23, 33), among commensal species isolated from humans, only Neisseria flavescens and B. catarrhalis are asaccharolytic. Another asaccharolytic Neisseria sp., Neisseria cinerea, was first described by von Lingelsheim in 1906 (35) and named Micrococcus cinereius. It was described subsequently as Neisseria pseudocatarrhalis (F. M. Huntoon, Abstr.

Anaerobic growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae coupled to nitrite reduction

“…Of these 204 strains, 39 were penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae. Strains were cultured on GCK medium and stored at -70°C as described previously (6).…”

Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis: Clinical, microbiological and immunological features in lower respiratory tract infections

“…Correct identification of M catarrhalis from human specimens mainly entails differentiation from Neisseria meninigitidis and the apathogenic Neisseria species, but also from the other Moraxella species, all of which are members of the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract. The apathogenic Neisseria species comprise Neisseria mucosa, Neisseria pharyngis, Neisseria Jlavescens, Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria cinerea, of which especially N cinerea has been prone to misidentification as M catarrhalis because of its lack of saccharolytic capacity (Knapp et al 1984).…”

“…Strains of M catarrhah have been found susceptible to colistin, with inhibition zones of 3 10 mm in diameter when using disks containing lOpg of colistin (Knapp et al 1984, Morello et al 1985, but resistant strains occur, which diminishes the reliability of this characteristic (I, Blackwell et al 1978, Dillon et al 1988, Doern and Morse 1980, Durussel and Siegrist 1988, Knapp 1988, Young and Bain 1983.…”

Branhamella catarrhalis: an organism gaining respect as a pathogen.

“…catarrhalis." Described in German and later in French (256), N. cinerea usually was overlooked until 1984, when it was further characterized by Knapp et al (180). Two studies of bacteria isolated from throat cultures on semiselective media showed that the ratios of N. cinerealB.…”