Topographical alterations in proteins I of Neisseria gonorrhoeae correlated with lipooligosaccharide variation.
Four transformant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were generated, two of which (WS3 and WS5) had protein I subclass A (P.IA) and two which (WS2 and WS4) had protein I subclass B (P.IB). Analysis of the strains demonstrated that the two P.IA-bearing strains differed in lipooligosaccharide (LOS) and H.8 antigen, as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting. The WS5 strain had slow-migrating LOS and H.8 antigen, and the WS3 strain had fast-migrating LOS and H.8 antigen. The P.IB-bearing strains also had either slow-migrating LOS and H.8 antigen (WS4) or fast-migrating LOS and H.8 antigen (WS2). Structural and exposure analysis revealed that although the P.IAs were identical in the WS3 and WS5 strains, there was a slight alteration of the exposure of the proteins which correlated with altered LOS and/or H.8 antigen. The P.IBs were also shown to be structurally identical, but the LOS and/or H.8 antigen variation in these strains correlated with a more pronounced alteration in the exposure of the P.IB molecules. The differences in protein I (P.I) exposure were generally found in highly negatively charged regions of the molecule, suggesting that the immunogenicity and/or antigenicity of the P.I molecules may vary as a result of LOS and/or H.8 antigen alterations.
Judd
R C
RC
Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula 59812.
Shafer
W M
WM
D000940:Antigenic Variation; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D018272:Porins; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D018272:Porins; C057699:porin protein, Neisseria