Open AccessCompetition between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Staphylococcus epidermidis during iron‐limited or replete continuous culture
Author(s) -
William Keevil C.,
Spillane Brendan J.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1989.tb03087.x
Subject(s) - neisseria gonorrhoeae , microbiology and biotechnology , staphylococcus epidermidis , biology , population , bacterial outer membrane , bacteria , chemistry , staphylococcus aureus , escherichia coli , biochemistry , genetics , medicine , gene , environmental health
Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain P9‐2 was grown in iron‐limited or replete continuous culture at a dilution rate of 0.05 h −1 , in the presence and absence of Staphylococcus epidermidis . Gonococci maintained expression of pili (P + ) and the transparent colony phenotype in pure culture during transitions of iron‐ and cystine‐limited growth. They competed well with staphylococci during iron‐limited co‐culture and comprised greater than 95% of the population. Transition to cystine‐limited growth allowed the staphylococcus to predominate but the gonococcus did not wash out. Furthermore, the gonococcal opaque colony phenotype (O + ), indicating synthesis of outer membrane proteins II, was now expressed. Restoration of iron limitation returned the co‐culture to its original composition but with the P + O + gonococci dominating. These results suggest that environments might exist in Man where gonococci can compete successfully with normal indigenous bacteria during infection.