The distinct trimeric structure of the immunodominant chlamydial antigen Major Outer Membrane Protein - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #Structural biology
- #Cryo-EM
- #Chlamydia vaccine
- The Major Outer Membrane Protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia is a key vaccine candidate due to its surface-exposed variable domains with neutralizing epitopes and confirmed T-cell epitopes.
- Native MOMP from Chlamydia muridarum forms a distinct trimer with a non-permeable β-barrel stem and an extracellular antigenic cap displaying variable domains.
- Cryo-EM structures reveal that MOMP's conformation is critical for immunogenicity, and binding with a neutralizing antibody causes structural reorganization in the cap.
- The structural insights provide a basis for serovar specificity and offer a template for structure-based vaccine design against chlamydial infections.