Diversity of the transferrin-binding protein Tbp2 of Neisseria meningitidis.

In order to investigate the genetic basis for the observed polymorphism amongst meningococcal transferrin-binding proteins, Tbp2, the corresponding genes of different Neisseria meningitidis strains were cloned and sequenced. Comparison of the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences indicated that the Tbp2 were 76.6 to 81.2% homologous. Several stretches of aa have been found repeated both in the N- and C-terminal halves of the molecule.