Major outer membrane protein PorA (PorA)

Major outer membrane protein PorA is a critical porin found in the outer membrane of Neisseria meningitidis, where it functions as a cation-selective channel for the transport of small nutrients and ions (UniProt: P0A316). As a class 1 outer membrane protein, it is highly immunogenic and serves as a primary target for the host's bactericidal immune response during infection (PubMed: 11553242). PorA is a central component of many outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines, such as those used to control serogroup B meningococcal outbreaks in New Zealand and Cuba (PubMed: 15910747). However, the protein exhibits significant sequence diversity in its surface-exposed loops, which allows the pathogen to evade immune detection through antigenic variation. This variability presents a challenge for vaccine design, often requiring the inclusion of multiple PorA variants to achieve sufficient coverage across different circulating strains (PubMed: 22434443).

Other names

Class 1 outer membrane proteinPorin AnmpA

Induction of serum bactericidal antibodies that target surface-exposed loops of the PorA protein to mediate complement-dependent killing of Neisseria meningitidis.