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THREE TYPES OF GROWTH INHIBITION AMONG STRAINS OF NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS IN NORWAY
Author(s) -
JYSSUM K.,
ALLUNANS J.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica series b: microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0108-0180
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1982.tb00128.x
Subject(s) - neisseria meningitidis , microbiology and biotechnology , strain (injury) , pronase , bacteriocin , neisseria gonorrhoeae , neisseriaceae , biology , bacteria , chemistry , trypsin , antibiotics , antimicrobial , biochemistry , enzyme , genetics , anatomy
A survey has been made of Neisseria meningitidis strains isolated from patients in order to determine the prevalence of diffusible growth inhibitory substances active against other meningococci. Three types of growth inhibitory activity could be distinguished. The first type was released in cultures of nearly all strains after treatment with chloroform vapour. This activity inhibited all meningococci tested, including the donor strain. The properties were similar to those of the non‐specific growth inhibitors observed among most strains of N. gonorrhoeae. The second type was demonstrated in cultures from four strains among 215 strains tested and may be present in a fifth strain. Bactericidal activity with high strain specificity was spontaneously released from cultures of the four strains. This type of activity was found to fit the description of a bacteriocin. The third type of inhibition was observed in one strain among the 215 strains tested. Cultures of this strain spontaneously released bacteriostatic activity. Products from the strain could inhibit almost all meningococcal strains except the donor strain itself. This activity was not entirely blocked by bovine serum albumin; it was not abolished by pronase and it was not stopped by dialysis membranes with cut‐off 12000.