What are the cultural and biochemical tests for Neisseria gonorrhoeae?

Many methods for the characterization of N gonorrhoeae require cultures. The useful typing methods for determining strain relatedness include auxotyping, serotyping, plasmid profile analysis, DNA sequencing of the porB gene and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

What is the best test to differentiate Neisseria species?

Gonochek II is a tube test that is designed to differentiate between Neisseria lactamica, N. meningitidis, N. gonorrhoeae and Moraxella catarrhalis. The enzymes produced by these species are detected in a single test by the production of colored endproducts from colorless substrates.

Is Neisseria sicca citrate positive or negative?

Neisseria sicca is a gram-negative diplococcus found as nor- mal human oral and upper respiratory tract flora; it is considered one of the commensal Neisseria species.

How do you test for Neisseria?

Urogenital N. gonorrhoeae infections can be diagnosed using culture or nonculture (e.g., the nucleic acid amplification test) techniques. When multiple sites are potentially infected, culture is the only approved diagnostic test.

What are the different types of Neisseria sicca?

Neisseria sicca: dry, wrinkled, adherent colonies; spontaneous agglutination in saline; some strains produce a yellowish pigment. Neisseria subflava: smooth and opaque colonies; yellow pigment. It is seen that the colony characteristics are the important criteria for the separation of the above two species.

What kind of tests are used for Neisseria?

Traditionally, tests used to identify strains of Neisseria species were performed as individual non-commercial tests. Although these tests have, in many cases, been superseded by commercially available products, reference laboratories may use additional individual tests to identify strains of Neisseria and related species.

How are carbohydrates used to identify Neisseria?

In this test, patterns of acid production from the carbohydrates – glucose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, (and fructose) – are used to identify Neisseria and related species. Production of acid from carbohydrates is indicated by a change in the color of the phenol red indicator from red to yellow.

What kind of phenol does Neisseria sicca produce?

In the 1960s, Berger and co-workers showed that Neisseria spp. produced consistent patterns of acid production from carbohydrates if isolates were tested in an appropriate medium, a medium with a low protein to carbohydrate ratio with phenol red as the pH indicator.