Neisseria gonorrhoeae surface proteins homologous to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B antigens (Ng-MenB homologous antigens)

Neisseria gonorrhoeae surface proteins homologous to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) antigens are a collection of outer membrane proteins that serve as targets for cross-protective immunity. These proteins include Neisserial Heparin Binding Antigen (NHBA), Factor H Binding Protein (fHbp), and components of Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMV) such as PorB (Semchenko et al., 2019, Emerging Microbes & Infections). Biologically, these antigens are involved in host cell adhesion, nutrient acquisition, and protection against the host's innate immune response (Leduc et al., 2020, Frontiers in Immunology). Because N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis share high genetic homology, vaccines designed for MenB, such as 4CMenB (Bexsero), elicit antibodies that cross-react with these gonococcal surface proteins. Clinical data from various regions have shown that MenB vaccination reduces the incidence of gonorrhea by approximately 30-40% (Petousis-Harris et al., 2017, The Lancet). These proteins are currently the primary focus for developing a standalone gonorrhea vaccine to combat increasing antibiotic resistance. The interaction between these antigens and vaccine-induced antibodies leads to bacterial killing via the classical complement pathway and opsonophagocytosis. This cross-protection represents a significant breakthrough in the prevention of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections (Winston et al., 2022, Journal of Infectious Diseases).

Other names

Gonococcal surface antigens4CMenB-homologous proteinsNeisserial Heparin Binding Antigen (NHBA)Factor H Binding Protein (fHbp)Outer membrane vesicle (OMV) antigensPorBNeisseria gonorrhoeae surface proteins homologous to MenB OMV and protein antigens

Induction of cross-reactive antibodies that recognize gonococcal surface proteins, leading to complement-mediated killing or opsonophagocytosis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.