Cloning and characterization of the structural gene for the class 2 protein of Neisseria meningitidis.

The class 2 protein of Neisseria meningitidis is the major outer membrane protein and a porin. A lambda gt11 bank of meningococcal chromosomal DNA was screened with monoclonal antibodies against gonococcal protein IB that cross-react with meningococcal class 2 protein. Three independent immunoreactive clones were isolated. DNA sequence analysis indicated that these clones included regions encoding the N-terminal portion of the class 2 protein. An oligonucleotide of 21 bases that was complementary to this sequence was synthesized and used as a probe for a second screening of the lambda gt11 bank. One of the positive clones isolated contained the complete gene, including the ribosome binding site, but lacked the promoter region. On the basis of the DNA sequence, a protein of 360 amino acids was predicted. Comparison of the predicted protein sequence with that of gonococcal protein I showed little homology in six regions constituting 29% of the total amino acids, while the remainder of the coding frame showed 81% homology of amino acid residues. The DNA homology in the immediate 5' and 3' noncoding sequences was very striking. Following the putative transcription terminator, the 3' DNA sequence contained a complex pattern of direct and inverted repeats having some similarity to the 3' sequence of the gonococcal protein IB gene and very close homology to a sequence located in the pilS1 region (R. Haas and T. F. Meyer, Cell 44:107, 1986), an area of the gonococcal genome containing silent pilin genes.