Radiorespirometric Studies in Genus Neisseria

The catabolism of pyruvate and acetate is selected Neisseria species was studied by radiorespirometry. Both substrates were oxidized via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. N. elongata and the "false neisserias" (N. catarrhalis, N. ovis and N. caviae) did oxidize acetate in the absence of other substrates. This can be explained if it is assumed that these species have glyoxylic acid cycle activity. In the "true neisserias" other than N. elongata, acetate was oxidized only in the presence of glutamate, indicating that these species do not possess a glyoxylic acid cycle.