Disease relevance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• Phase variation in both the gonococcus and E. coli was recA-independent, occurred at similar rates, and involved insertions or deletions of one or more repeat units [1].
• The gonococcus and meningococcus, which infect human mucosal surfaces, elaborate a highly specific proteolytic enzyme which cleaves the immunoglobulin A1 subclass of the principal mucosal antibody, immunoglobulin A (IgA) [2].
• Of 65 ciprofloxacin-resistant, clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 5 isolates exhibited ParC mutations previously undescribed in the gonococcus [3].
• Current recommendations include the use of newer third generation cephalosporins such as ceftriaxone, ceftizoxime and cefotaxime which give excellent coverage of the gonococcus and the Enterobacteriaceae [4].
• Studies on gonococcus infection. XVII. IgA1-cleaving protease in vaginal washings from women with gonorrhea [5].

High impact information on Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• Beta-lactamase-producing Gonococcus from Ghana [6].
• The organism was typical in all respects except that, unlike any previously described gonococcus, it produced a beta-lactamase that conferred resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, and cephaloridine [7].
• An intimate association occurs between the gonococcus and the urethral epithelium and is mediated by the asialoglycoprotein receptor [8].
• Hybridization analysis suggests that there is a single structural gene for PI and that it is homologous to the gene found in a PIA-bearing strain of gonococcus [9].
• However, significant differences in the organization and structure of the hsdS genes in both these systems suggests that, if functional, they would possess recognition sites that differ from the gonococcus and from themselves [10].

Chemical compound and disease context of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• The importance of these oligosaccharides in gonococcal biology is clear from the fact that they contain the epitopes that are the targets for killing by normal human serum, and the acceptor site for sialic acid, which acts to protect the gonococcus from this killing [11].
• Our findings demonstrate a role for lipid A as a C3 acceptor site and suggest that multiple factors govern C3b deposition and its subsequent conversion to iC3b on the surface of the gonococcus within the cervical microenvironment [12].
• Chemical fractionation of labeled cells and total hexose analyses revealed that growth pH markedly affected the composition of the gonococcus [13].
• This vaginal isolate may be a genetically transformed gonococcus with the ability to utilize maltose [14].
• Enhancement of coagglutination reactions of the Phadebact gonococcus test by ethylenediaminetetraacetate and ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetate [15].

Biological context of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• A Pcr plasmid isolated from a gonococcus in London, England, was identical with these 5.1-kb transformant plasmids in both size and restriction endonuclease cleavage profiles, suggesting that the 5.1-kb Pcr plasmid could have arisen from a 7.1-kb Pcr plasmid by a transformation-associated deletion in nature [16].

Anatomical context of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• These data are compatible with the hypothesis that, in the initial encounter with previously uninfected human genital mucosa, the production of IgA1 protease is not critical to the ability of the gonococcus to act as a mucosal pathogen [17].
• Use of the o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside test in conjunction with the Phadebact Gonococcus Test, particularly on isolates from the pharynx, is recommended [18].
• Some features of the structure of the gonococcus, e.g. the six-layered cell wall, and of the reactions of the organism in different forms of gonorrhoeae before and during treatment with antibiotics were demonstrated using Ruthenium red staining [19].

Gene context of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• Although a number of studies have examined Fe uptake by Neisseria meningitidis, no comparable studies have been done on Fe uptake by the gonococcus from TF and LF [20].
• To investigate the roles of the gonococcal recN and recJ genes in the recombination-based processes of the gonococcus, these genes were inactivated in the N. gonorrhoeae strain FA1090 [21].
• Between 1988 and 1995, 518 strains of TRNG (tetracycline MIC > 8.mg/l) were referred to the Gonococcus Reference Unit by other laboratories or isolated from routine swabs taken at local clinics [22].
• Median CD4 count was 291 cells x 10(6)/l. 87 subjects underwent a urethritis screen (Gram stained urethral smear and culture for gonococcus, and LCR for Chlamydia trachomatis on first pass urine) [23].
• The wild-type gonococcus but not the IgA1 protease-deficient mutant elaborated IgA1 protease into the medium [17].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

• This PCR technique is specific and sensitive, being able to detect gonococcal strains belonging to ten different PIB serovars, but not PIA gonococcus nor other negative control bacteria [24].

References