Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria polysaccharea as possible sources of meningococcal beta-lactam resistance by genetic transformation.

We studied the susceptibilities of relatively penicillin G-resistant and -susceptible strains of Neisseria meningitidis, as well as Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria polysaccharea, to penicillin, ampicillin, and several cephalosporins. The MICs of penicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin, and cefuroxime for moderately resistant meningococci have increased two- to sixfold in relation to MICs for susceptible strains. For these strains of meningococci, N. lactamica, and N. polysaccharea, penicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin, and cefuroxime MICs for 50 and 90% of strains were similar. By genetic transformation of a penicillin-susceptible strain of N. meningitidis to low-level penicillin resistance with DNA from penicillin-resistant strains of N. meningitidis, N. lactamica, N. polysaccharea, and N. gonorrhoeae, isogenic strains with the same pattern of resistance to beta-lactams were obtained, suggesting that these commensal Neisseria spp. could be the source of meningococcal resistance genes.