# FUNCTION OF GONOCOCCAL ANAEROBICALLY INDUCED PROTEINS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 1991 · $147,584

## Abstract

Neisseria gonorrhoea, the causative agent of gonorrhea, is one
of the most prevalent diseases in this country.  In addition to
local infection, the gonococcus can cause serious complications,
including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), the leading cause of
sterility in females in the U.S.  Of the bacteria that are known
to be etiologic agents in PID, N. gonorrhoea is the only one that
is considered to be an obligate aerobe.  However, we have shown
that the gonococcus can grow anaerobically and that it regulates
gene expression in response to the availability of oxygen,
suggesting that anaerobic growth is of physiological significance
to the gonococcus.  Since N. gonorrhoea is isolated from mixed
infections with facultative and obligate anaerobes, increases its
oxygen consumption rates in the presence of human serum and
cells, and sera from females with gonococcal infections contain
antibodies to proteins anaerobically induced in vitro, it is
likely that this organism grows anaerobically in vivo.  This
raises the possibility that the gonococcus has a virulence
regulon that is induced during anaerobic growth.  Our specific
aims are:

I.    To characterize the anaerobically induced proteins and
their genes.  We will clone the major anaerobically induced
protein, Pan1, as it is a major antigen recognized by patient
sera.  The cloned gene will be sequenced, compared to sequences
of genes with known functions, and will be used as a probe to
determine the incidence of this gene among other Neisseria spp.
Preliminary experiments suggest that meningococcal strains
produce only small amounts or none of this protein.  This would
be the first example of a gonococcal protein that is not found in
equal abundance in the meningococcus.

II.  To study the human immune response to gonococcal infection.
We will test preinfection and post-infection sera and seminal
plasma from a male volunteer infection study for the presence of
antibodies to anaerobically induced proteins.  This study will
allow us to determine if the production of antibodies to Pan1 is
the major response to gonococcal infection, as was suggested by
our previous studies, and whether mucosal antibody to Pan1 is
produced.

III. To determine the role of anaerobically induced proteins in
the virulence of N. gonorrhoea.  We will use a model system for
invasion of human cells as a measure of virulence of
anaerobically vs. aerobically grown gonococci.  We believe that
the unusual delay in invasion seen by the gonococcus as compared
to other invasive bacteria is due to a requirement for anaerobic
induction of a virulence regulon.  Mutants in the Pan1 gene, the
gene for a putative activator protein required for induction of
the anaerobic regulon, and other genes that are under the control
of this activator will be assessed in the invasion model system
to detect differences in virulence.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3125010
- **Project number:** 5R01AI011709-16
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **SAM.gov UEI:** F27KDXZMF9Y8
- **Principal Investigator:** VIRGINIA L CLARK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $147,584
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1977-02-01 → 1993-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3125010

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3125010, FUNCTION OF GONOCOCCAL ANAEROBICALLY INDUCED PROTEINS (5R01AI011709-16). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3125010. Licensed CC0.

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