The class 3 OMP of Neisseria meningitidis has eight predicted surface exposed loops. The gene encoding this protein is different between different serotypes in regions corresponding to four of these loops. Protective antibodies appear to be raised to conformational not linear epitopes. In order to determine the protective epitopes of this protein, we are constructing synthetic peptide loops with lipid tails for insertion into liposomes to mimic suspected conformational epitopes corresponding to surface exposed loops.
