Analysis of genetic variability of penicillinase non-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains with different levels of resistance to penicillin.

Genetic variability among 41 penicillinase non-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains, isolated in Spain, with different levels of resistance to penicillin was investigated by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Based on the results obtained by analysis at seven enzyme loci, the strains were separated into 17 electrophoretic types. The average number of alleles/enzyme locus was 2.85; the mean genetic diversity/locus was 0.49 for individual isolates and 0.516 for electrophoretic types. The results showed that these gonococcal strains were, genetically, a highly variable group of organisms.