Cell envelope of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. A comparative study with Escherichia coli

The cell envelope of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was studied and compared to that of Escherichia coli. Outer membranes (OM) from both species were isolated by an identical method, and subjected to biochemical analysis. Differences in OM structure were sought that might explain the dissimilarity in OM permeability of these two species. The most pronounced difference appeared to reside in the OM proteins as judged by gel electrophoresis. Moreover, gonococcal OM proteins appeared to be more hydrophilic than those of E. coli.