A NEW SPECIES OF NEISSERIA FROM THE DENTAL PLAQUE OF THE DOMESTIC COW, NEISSERIA-DENTIAE SP-NOV

A new species of the genus Neisseria is proposed, Neisseria dentiae sp . nov. The organism is found in dental plaque of domestic cows. It res embles N. animalis, N. canis and N. iguanae phenotypically but is dist inguished from the first two by being positive for acidification of gl uconate, D-glucose and usually D-fructose, and from the third by lack of predominant tetrad arrangement, lack of distinct alpha-haemolysis a nd by growing on nutrient agar and usually acidifying D-fructose. It i s suggested that it may have significance for dental microbiology beca use members of the genus rapidly utilize oxygen and this may contribut e to the anaerobic microenvironment found in dental plaque.