What is the Difference Between Neisseria and Moraxella?

Neisseria and Moraxella are two genera of bacteria that belong to the Proteobacteria phylum, which consists of a wide variety of pathogenic genera, including Escherichia, Salmonella, Vibrio, Helicobacter, Yersinia, Legionella, and others. Both Neisseria and Moraxella are Gram-negative, diplococci, strict aerobes, catalase positive, and oxidase positive. However, there are some key differences between the two:

1. Class: Neisseria belongs to the class of beta proteobacteria, while Moraxella belongs to the class of gamma proteobacteria.
2. Phylogeny: Neisseria is a monophyletic genus, meaning it contains all the descendants of a common ancestor, while Moraxella is a paraphyletic genus, meaning it only contains some of the descendants of a common ancestor.
3. Sugar Fermentation: Some Neisseria and Moraxella species can be distinguished using sugar fermentation tests. For example, Neisseria gonorrhoeae ferments glucose, Neisseria meningitidis ferments glucose and maltose, and Moraxella catarrhalis does not ferment sugar.

Both genera have pathogenic and non-pathogenic species, and they can be found in various infections. Neisseria is often associated with sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea and meningitis, while Moraxella is commonly isolated from eye infections and respiratory tract infections.

Comparative Table: Neisseria vs Moraxella

The main difference between Neisseria and Moraxella is that Neisseria belongs to the class of beta proteobacteria, while Moraxella belongs to the class of gamma proteobacteria. Here is a table comparing the two genera:

Some key differences between the two genera include:

• Neisseria is a monophyletic genus, while Moraxella is a paraphyletic genus.
• Moraxella catarrhalis, a species of Moraxella, can be differentiated from Neisseria species by the tributyrin test: M. catarrhalis is positive, and Neisseria species are negative.