Porin A and outer membrane vesicle antigens from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strain B:4:P1.7–2,4 (PorA/OMV (MenB strain B:4:P1.7–2,4))

Porin A (PorA) is a major class 1 outer membrane protein of Neisseria meningitidis that functions as a selective channel for the transport of small hydrophilic molecules across the bacterial outer membrane (PubMed: 11585519). In serogroup B strains, where the polysaccharide capsule is poorly immunogenic due to its similarity to human neural cell adhesion molecules, PorA and other antigens presented in Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) serve as critical targets for vaccine development (PubMed: 15876927). The specific strain B:4:P1.7–2,4 (NZ98/254) was the basis for the MeNZB vaccine, which was developed to control a prolonged epidemic in New Zealand (PubMed: 19406447). These OMV-based antigens work by eliciting a robust humoral immune response, specifically inducing serum bactericidal antibodies that facilitate the complement-mediated killing of the bacteria (PubMed: 17032253). While highly effective against the homologous strain, the immune response to PorA is largely serosubtype-specific, which led to the inclusion of this OMV component in broader multicomponent vaccines like Bexsero to enhance coverage (EMA: Bexsero Summary of Product Characteristics).

Other names

MenB OMVMeNZB antigensPorin AP1.7-2,4 OMVClass 1 outer membrane proteinNZ98/254 OMV antigens

Induction of host immune response leading to the production of complement-mediated serum bactericidal antibodies (SBA) and opsonophagocytic activity against Neisseria meningitidis.