Major component of the type IV pilus (T4P) that plays a role in cellular adherence, microcolony formation, resistance to neutrophil mediated killing, twitching motility as well as transformation. Mediates the attachment and the formation of bacterial microcolonies on host epithelial cells. Mechanistically, pili retractation induces host NF-kappa-B activation in infected cells, which is temporally associated with the formation of gonococcal microcolonies. The pili are polar flexible filaments of about 5.4 nanometers diameter and 2.5 micrometers average length; they consist of only a single polypeptide chain arranged in a helical configuration of five subunits per turn in the assembled pilus. Belongs to the N-Me-Phe pilin family.