Transformation of leucine and rifampin traits in Neisseria gonorrhoeae with deoxyribonucleic acid from homologous and heterologous origins.

A leucine-requiring, rifampin-sensitive strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was transformed to a leucine-nonrequiring, rifampin-resistant phenotype with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) obtained from both N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae. The transforming efficiency of the meningococcal DNA was about 10- to 100-fold less than that of the homologous gonococcal DNA. A chemically defined medium that would support growth of most gonococcal isolates was used as a complete medium. A minimal medium was used for selection of Leu+ transformants. N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine was used as a mutagen for isolating leucine prototrophs from leucine-requiring isolates of N. gonorrohoeae.