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Abstract
Opa proteins are variable outer membrane proteins of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria
meningitidis that mediate tight interaction of these pathogens with human cells. They
have emerged as a paradigm of a bacterial toolbox allowing recognition of different
host receptors and orchestrating the cell type tropism displayed by pathogenic Neisseriae.
Recent work has highlighted the molecular basis of Opa-protein-host-receptor interaction
and has shed new light on the functional consequences of this interaction with regard
to bacterial attachment, invasion, and responses elicited in particular host cells.