Factors Affecting Autolysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 1

Summary Glucose-limited cultures of N. gonorrhoeae were susceptible to autolysis. The onset of autolysis was not due to a decrease in pH but rather from depletion of the energy source. Cultures limited by nitrogen or by the addition of chloramphenicol or rifampicin were not susceptible to autolysis. The prevalence of autolytic strains appears to be wide spread.