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Genetics of surface protein variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Author(s) -
Murphy George L.,
Can Janne G.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950090103
Subject(s) - neisseria gonorrhoeae , pilus , antigenic variation , biology , bacterial outer membrane , phase variation , gene , gonorrhea , genetics , neisseria , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , virulence , virology , escherichia coli , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)
Neisseria gonorrhoeae , the bacterium that causes the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, demonstrates extensive antigenic heterogeneity in its surface components. The organism has the capacity to switch on and off the synthesis of different versions of components such as pili, outer membrane proteins, and lipopolysaccharide. Recent studies have shown that the gonococcus uses novel and complex mechanisms, of types not described previously, to store different versions of genetic information for surface proteins, and to regulate expression of those genes.