What is "omptin"

Omptins (, protease VII, protease A, gene ompT proteins, ompT protease, protein a, Pla, OmpT) are a family of bacterial proteases. They are aspartate proteases, which cleave peptides with the use of a water molecule. Found in the outer membrane of gram-negative enterobacteria such as Shigella flexneri, Yersinia pestis, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica. Omptins consist of a widely conserved beta barrel spanning the membrane with 5 extra-cellular loops. These loops are responsible for the various substrate specificities. These proteases rely upon binding of lipopolysaccharide for activity.

Omptins have been linked with pathogenesis in several bacteria.