Differentiation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from other Neisseria species by use of the restriction endonuclease HaeIII

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Abstract
Restriction endonuclease HaeIII was used to differentiate N. gonorrhoeae from other Neisseria spp. and Branhamella catarrhalis. A total of 16 clinical isolates and 4 American Type Culture Collection strains of N. gonorrhoeae were resistant to HaeIII digestion; 17 isolates and 4 American Type Culture Collection strains from 8 different bacterial species were susceptible. This resistance was not caused by an enzyme inhibitor. Protection of the HaeIII recognition sequence by methylation may be the mechanism of resistance since N. gonorrhoeae DNA became susceptible to digestion when passed in Escherichia coli as part of a plasmid clone.