Neisseria species

In some polysaccharides, the reducing terminal is linked, through a phosphoric diester linkage, to O-1 of a 2,3-di-6 -acylglycerol. This structural feature has been demonstrated for some capsular polysaccharides from E. coli and Neisseria species, - but is probably more common than that. Non-covalent linkage between the lipid part and the cell membrane may explain why extracellular polysaccharides often occur as capsules, and the high (apparent) molecular weight observed for these polysaccharides may be due to micelle formation in aqueous solution. 

Gibson, B. W. Phillips, N. J. John, C. M. Melaugh, W. Lipooligosaccharides in pathogenic Haemophilus and Neisseria species—Mass spectrometric techniques for identification and characterization. ACS Sympo. Ser. 1994,541,185-202. 

Smith NH, Holmes EC, Donovan GM, Carpenter GA, Spratt BG (1999) Networks and groups within the genus Neisseria analysis of argF, recA, rho, and 16S rRNA sequences from human Neisseria species. Mol Biol Evol 16 773-783 Snoep JL, van der Weijden CC, Andersen HW, Westerhoff HV, Jensen PR (2002) DNA supercoiling in Escherichia coli is under tight and subtle homeostatic control, involving... 

PolyP is a component of the cell capsule, which is loosely attached to the surface membrane of the Neisseria species. This capsular PolyP represents about a half of the PolyP content in Neisseria cells (Tinsley et al., 1993). 

This was discovered in regard to various Streptococcus and Neisseria species by Smith (S25) with the use of a hog mucin preparation. Smith etal. (S25-S27) and Record and Grinstead (R2, R2a) then demonstrated that this activity was not due to a single factor, but to a syner c combination of three factors a viscous medium, a nonspecific particulate matter, and an important third factor. The latter consists of (1) heparin, (2) chondroitin sulfuric acid, and (3) neutral blood group mucoid. 

Activation of the membrane-attack complex, through C9, can cause osmotic lysis of cells and viruses. The complete complex appears to be essential primarily for control of Neisseria species infections in human beings, because infections with these bacteria are the only significant clinical consequence of genetic deficiencies of the late-acting components. 

Miyada CG, Born TL. A DNA sequence for the discrimination of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from other Neisseria species. Mol CeU Probes 1991 5 327-35. 

C. Poly-G Tracts and Variation of LOS Expression in Neisseria Species... 

Figure 9 Glycan structures that have been identified on pilin from different Neisseria species and strains. Nm, N. meningitidis-, Ng, N. gonorrhoeae-, DATDH, diacetamido-trideoxy-hexose.

Type 4 Fimbriae. Many Proteus spp. produce extremely thin (4 nm), peritrichously arranged filaments that confer MR haemagglutinating and adhesive properties on the cells. These fimbriae predominate in exponential broth cultures and may account for the ability of P. mirabilis to cause pyelonephritis. Unlike type 1 fimbriae those belonging to this class are most active in the haemagglutination of sheep and fowl erythrocytes. Similar small diameter MR fimbriae have been detected in non-pathogenic Neisseria species. 

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