Fastidious: Requires specific growth conditions, including enriched media (like Thayer-Martin agar) and carbon dioxide.
Oxidase positive: Produces the enzyme oxidase, which is a key identification characteristic.
Pilus: A hair-like structure that helps the bacteria adhere to mucosal surfaces.
This structure undergoes frequent antigenic variation, making it difficult for the immune system to recognize and attack the bacteria.
Lipooligosaccharide (LOS): This is the gonococcal equivalent of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) found in other Gram-negative bacteria.
It acts as an endotoxin, causing inflammation and tissue damage.
Outer membrane proteins: Several proteins in the outer membrane help the bacteria evade the immune system and establish infection.
Pathogenesis:
Adherence: The pilus and other adhesins allow the bacteria to attach to mucosal surfaces.
Invasion: The bacteria can invade epithelial cells and spread to deeper tissues.
Immune evasion: The bacteria employ various mechanisms to avoid being killed by the immune system, including antigenic variation, capsule production, and resistance to complement-mediated killing.
Inflammation: The bacteria induce a strong inflammatory response, leading to tissue damage and symptoms of gonorrhea.
Antibiotic resistance:
Increasing resistance: N. gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, making treatment increasingly challenging.
Mechanisms of resistance: Bacteria can produce enzymes that inactivate antibiotics, alter target sites, or reduce drug uptake.
Understanding the microbiology of N. gonorrhoeae is crucial for developing effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.
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