title: Neisseria gonorrhoeae recombinant strains expressing hybrid serological reactivities of outer membrane proteins IA and IB.
abstract: The inheritance of epitopes of protein I, the principal protein of the outer membrane of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, was investigated by DNA-mediated transformation. Protein I transformants were isolated by selection for the linked spectinomycin-resistance determinant. Twelve monoclonal antibodies used in coagglutination tests identified epitopes of the two forms of protein I (P.IA and P.IB). A given gonococcal culture from patients expresses epitopes of either P.IA or P.IB and rarely, if ever, exhibits hybrid P.IA/P.IB reactivities. Nevertheless, we found 35 P.IA/P.IB recombinants among 1506 transformants. Transmission by DNA of the hybrid reactivities and the apparent molecular mass characteristic of a given P.IA/P.IB species verified the genetic basis of the phenotypic changes. A recombinant that expressed six P.IA and two P.IB epitopes is of interest as a possible component of a gonococcal vaccine, because one or more of these epitopes are shared with 99.8% of a worldwide collection of 1858 clinical strains.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.
authors: E N
authors: EN
authors: Shinners
authors: B W
authors: BW
authors: Catlin
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D000939:Epitopes