Veyrier Lectures Flashcards
Which Gram stain will stain bacteria of the Neisseriaceae family?
Safranin (pink colour for Gram negative bacteria)
What is the shape of a Neisseria bacteria?
diplococci
T or F: Neisseria are part of normal mammalian flora
T
What are the only 2 species of pathogenic Neisseria?
N. gonorrhoeae
N. meningitidis
What part of the body does Nm colonize?
Nasopharyngeal tract
T or F: Nm infections are chronic
F - they are acute and short-term
What is the driving force for Nm’s evolution?
Human social behaviour
T or F: Nm has an outer membrane rich in LPS
F: rich in LOS = lipo-oligosaccharide
What is the capsule of Neisseria spp made out of?
Polysaccharides
What is used to differentiate bw different Neisseria species? Why?
Capsule; the type of polysaccharide used to make the capsule differs across each species
The ____ components of Neisseria are used to group/ID different Neisseria spp.
structural: capsule and pore proteins
What are the most common strains of Nm in North America?
B, C, Y
Where do most cases of Neisseria infections occur? Hint: it is located in the meningitis belt
Sub-Saharan Africa
What is the age group with the most Nm infections?
14-25
T or F: vaccines are unavailable for Nm infections
F
What is the Ag used in Nm vaccines? Why? What is another option as an Ag?
- Purified polysaccharides from capsule bc they are very immunogenic.
- Porins from external membrane also used in vaccines
What does immunogenic mean?
Induces Ab production against a certain molecule
Is Nm or Ng a sexually transmitted disease?
Ng
Ng infections are most prevalent in which age group?
14-25
T or F: Ng infections are asymptomatic in men and women
F: are asymptomatic in women only
Which pathogenic Neisseria species is there no vaccine against? Why?
N. gonorrheae. No capsule
How do newborns get a Ng infection?
Infected mothers; bacteria in vaginal tract will get in baby’s eyes
T or F: antibiotic resistance to Nm is an issue
F - resistance to Ng is an issue
Which pathogenic Neisseria species doesn’t have a capsule?
Ng
Do Neisseria have DNA repair mechanisms?
No
What shape were Neisseria ancestors? Recall that Neisseria are diplococci.
Bacilli.
Which Neisseria protein is used to protect against Ab attack?
IgA1 protease
Can Ng cause sepsis? Explain
No, because it doesn’t have a capsule, which is required to enter bloodstream
Changing cell shape will impact ____ and ____
- bacteria’s interactions with host immune system
2. colonization strategy + location (adhesion properties)
What does the AniA protein do?
Important for anaerobic respiration
Give an example to show that Nm is currently evolving, and suggest a driving factor for its evolution
- It used to be local to the nasopharyngeal tract, but now can also exist in genitals.
- It has acquired AniA gene used for anaerobic respiration to survive in low-O2 conditions in genital areas.
- Evolved due to oral sex - bacteria from mouth transferred to genitals
