Nonencapsulated Neisseria meningitidis strain produces amylopectin from sucrose: altering the concept for differentiation between N. meningitidis and N. polysaccharea.

ABSTRACT: Neisseria meningitidis is the causative agent of meningococcal sepsis and meningitis. Neisseria polysaccharea is a nonpathogenic species. N. polysaccharea is able to use sucrose to produce amylopectin, a starch-like polysaccharide, which distinguishes it biochemically from the pathogenic species N. meningitidis. The data presented here indicate that this may be an insufficient criterion to distinguish between these two species. The nonencapsulated Neisseria strain 93246 expressed a phenotype of amylopectin production similar to that of N. polysaccharea. However, strain 93246 reacted with N. meningitidis serotype 4 and serosubtype P1.14 monoclonal antibodies and showed the N. meningitidis L1(8) lipo-oligosaccharide immunotype. Further analyses were performed on four genetic loci in strain 9

SUBMITTER: Zhu P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC149584 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature