What is porb?
PorB is a pore-forming protein from Neisseria gonorrhoea that is involved in gonococcal outer membrane vesicles. It has been shown to act as a TLR1/TLR2 heterodimer-dependent PAMP, stimulating immune responses in vivo28. Moreover, it enhances antigen uptake into dendritic cells and increases antigen processing/presentation to MHC class II and I molecules in vitro29. These immunomodulatory properties of PorB suggest that it may serve as a viable alternative to existing adjuvants such as oil emulsions, squalene, and Quil-A for a future gonorrhoea vaccine. However, the exact molecular mechanism by which PorB acts as an adjuvant remains unclear. In addition, it is not known whether PorB binds to clathrin and/or caveolin, and how these mechanisms impact endocytosis and antigen uptake.