Gonorrhea Laboratory Information
Identification of N. gonorrhoeae and Related Species
Taxonomy of the Family Neisseriaceae
Neisseria species and the related species Moraxella catarrhalis and Kingella denitrificans belong to the family Neisseriaceae. The genera Moraxella and Acinetobacter are also included in the family Neisseriaceae. These genera are distinguished by the characteristics shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Differential characteristics of genera assigned to the family Neisseriaceae
| Characteristic | Genus (Species) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neisseria* | M. catarrhalis | Kingella | Moraxella | Acineto- bacter |
M. urethralis** | |
| Cells | Diplococci Rods*** |
Diplococci | Coccobacilli | Rods | Rods | Rods |
| Oxidase | + | + | + | + | - | + |
| Catalase | + | + | - | + | + | + |
| Acid from Glucose |
[+] | - | + | - | D | - |
| Nitrite Reduction |
+ | D | + | - | - | - |
*Species of human origin: Neisseria gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis, N.
gonorrhoeae subspecies kochii N. lactamica, N. polysaccharea, N.
cinerea, N. flavescens N. subflava biovars subflava,
flava, and perflava, N. sicca, N. mucosa, N.
elongata
Species of animal origin: N. canis, N. macacae, N. weaverii, N.
iguanae and the species incertae sedis (taxonomic position uncertain) N.
caviae, N. ovis, N. cuniculi
**Species incertae sedis.
***N. elongata, N. weaverii are rods
References
Bovre K. 1984. Family VIII. Neisseriaceae Prevot, p. 288-309. In N. R. Krieg (ed.). Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, vol. 1. The Williams & Wilkins co., Baltimore.
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