Autoplaquing in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Irregularly shaped autoplaques were observed on a lawn of two different strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Autoplaquing occurred on gonococcal genetic medium lacking arginine and was noninducible on complete gonococcal genetic medium. The cell density, incubation temperature, and agar base influenced autoplaquing. Single-colony suspensions varied in plaque morphology. We were unable to isolate a stable nonplaquing variant but separated strain RUN5287 into two plaquing phenotypes.