Disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a significant world-wide public health problem. A key to the successful management of this disease is defining the attributes which make the gonococcus a human pathogen. The ability of the gonococcus to multiply is dependent upon obtaining growth-essential iron. Withholding iron by vertebrate hosts is a principal mechanism of non-specific immunity against infection. Thus, the expression of a high-affinity iron-acquisition system is a prerequisite for infection. A central component in the process of iron acquisition by gonococci is the periplasmic iron-binding protein, Fbp. To more clearly elucidate the molecular basis of gonococcal iron-acquisition, we intend to study aspects related to Fbp which will specifically define its role in this mechanism and exploit is as a probe to define other molecular participants of the process. An essential component of our studies involves the use of computing facilities which will facilitate: ( 1) the storage and analysis of nucleic acid and protein sequences; (2) database searches for sequences and structural motifs, (3) molecular modeling; and (4) statistical analysis of large amounts of data. In addition, graphical display of results is important for data analysis and presentation.
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