Altered outer membrane protein in different colonial types of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Abstract

Dark-colored colony types of N. gonorrhoeae (T3 and dark variants of T1 and T2) had markedly increased amounts of an .apprx. 28,000-dalton outer membrane protein, as compared with light-colored colony types (T4 and light variants of T1 and T2). The presence of this protein appeared to be unrelated to piliation. The apparent MW of this protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels varied, depending on methods used to solubilize envelope proteins. The location of this protein on the outer membrane may indicate its importance in the pathogenicity or antigenicity of the organism and colonial characteristics in vitro.