The virulence-associated gonococcal H.8 gene encodes 14 tandemly repeated pentapeptides

Abstract

H.8 is a virulence-associated, surface-exposed immunogenic macromolecule composed of lipid and protein, common to Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis. The H.8 DNA sequence predicted a 6.9 kD peptide comprising 14 tandemly repeated pentameric sequences. Ten were identical: Pro, Ala, Ala, Glu, Ala. Also predicted was a lipoprotein leader consensus sequence which probably specified acylation since the Escherichia coli-expressed protein was tightly associated with lipid. Lipid appeared to contribute significantly to H.8 antigen's electrophoretic mobility. This is the first description of a prokaryotic outer membrane protein composed solely of tandem repeats. Furthermore, DNA encoding this repeat appears to have been duplicated and translocated into another neisserial gene encoding an azurin.