Is Multilocus Sequence Typing Approach Useful in Identification of Commensal Neisseria from Clinical Samples?

There is a lack of information concerning commensal Neisseria, as most studies focus on pathogenic Neisseria. To evaluate the use of Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) as a molecular identification tool, we determined the sequences of 700 bp fragments in seven housekeeping genes (abcZ, adk, aroE, fumC, gdh, pdhC and pgm) of 24 commensal Neisseria isolates collected from neutropenic patients in the Bone Marrow Transplant Center of Tunisia. Results were then compared to those obtained by conventional biochemical testing. In 79% (19/24), more than one possibility was given by MLST and in 46% (11/24), one of the possibilities offered by MLST, agreed with the result given by conventional biochemical testing.