Pili, outer membrane proteins, IgA1 protease and lipo-oligosaccharide (LOS) are important virulence factors of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Patterns of acid production from the carbohydrates – glucose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, (and fructose) – are used to identify Neisseria.
Neisseria meningitidis is capsulated and ferment maltose (MM), whereas Neisseria gonorrhoeae is non-capsulated and do not ferment maltose.
