Veyrier Lectures

Question 1

Which Gram stain will stain bacteria of the Neisseriaceae family?

Answer 1

Safranin (pink colour for Gram negative bacteria)

Question 2

What is the shape of a Neisseria bacteria?

Answer 2

diplococci

Question 3

T or F: Neisseria are part of normal mammalian flora

Answer 3

T

Question 4

What are the only 2 species of pathogenic Neisseria?

Answer 4

N. gonorrhoeae

N. meningitidis

Question 5

What part of the body does Nm colonize?

Answer 5

Nasopharyngeal tract

Question 6

T or F: Nm infections are chronic

Answer 6

F - they are acute and short-term

Question 7

What is the driving force for Nm’s evolution?

Answer 7

Human social behaviour

Question 8

T or F: Nm has an outer membrane rich in LPS

Answer 8

F: rich in LOS = lipo-oligosaccharide

Question 9

What is the capsule of Neisseria spp made out of?

Answer 9

Polysaccharides

Question 10

What is used to differentiate bw different Neisseria species? Why?

Answer 10

Capsule; the type of polysaccharide used to make the capsule differs across each species

Question 11

The ____ components of Neisseria are used to group/ID different Neisseria spp.

Answer 11

structural: capsule and pore proteins

Question 12

What are the most common strains of Nm in North America?

Answer 12

B, C, Y

Question 13

Where do most cases of Neisseria infections occur? Hint: it is located in the meningitis belt

Answer 13

Sub-Saharan Africa

Question 14

What is the age group with the most Nm infections?

Answer 14

14-25

Question 15

T or F: vaccines are unavailable for Nm infections

Answer 15

F

Question 16

What is the Ag used in Nm vaccines? Why? What is another option as an Ag?

Answer 16

• Purified polysaccharides from capsule bc they are very immunogenic.
• Porins from external membrane also used in vaccines

Question 17

What does immunogenic mean?

Answer 17

Induces Ab production against a certain molecule

Question 18

Is Nm or Ng a sexually transmitted disease?

Answer 18

Ng

Question 19

Ng infections are most prevalent in which age group?

Answer 19

14-25

Question 20

T or F: Ng infections are asymptomatic in men and women

Answer 20

F: are asymptomatic in women only

Question 21

Which pathogenic Neisseria species is there no vaccine against? Why?

Answer 21

N. gonorrheae. No capsule

Question 22

How do newborns get a Ng infection?

Answer 22

Infected mothers; bacteria in vaginal tract will get in baby’s eyes

Question 23

T or F: antibiotic resistance to Nm is an issue

Answer 23

F - resistance to Ng is an issue

Question 24

Which pathogenic Neisseria species doesn’t have a capsule?

Answer 24

Ng

Question 25

Do Neisseria have DNA repair mechanisms?

Answer 25

No

Question 26

What shape were Neisseria ancestors? Recall that Neisseria are diplococci.

Answer 26

Bacilli.

Question 27

Which Neisseria protein is used to protect against Ab attack?

Answer 27

IgA1 protease

Question 28

Can Ng cause sepsis? Explain

Answer 28

No, because it doesn’t have a capsule, which is required to enter bloodstream

Question 29

Changing cell shape will impact ____ and ____

Answer 29

1. bacteria’s interactions with host immune system

2. colonization strategy + location (adhesion properties)

Question 30

What does the AniA protein do?

Answer 30

Important for anaerobic respiration

Question 31

Give an example to show that Nm is currently evolving, and suggest a driving factor for its evolution

Answer 31

• 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