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Marti H, Suchland RJ, Rockey DD. The Impact of Lateral Gene Transfer in Chlamydia. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:861899. [PMID: 35321311 PMCID: PMC8936141 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.861899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateral gene transfer (LGT) facilitates many processes in bacterial ecology and pathogenesis, especially regarding pathogen evolution and the spread of antibiotic resistance across species. The obligate intracellular chlamydiae, which cause a range of diseases in humans and animals, were historically thought to be highly deficient in this process. However, research over the past few decades has demonstrated that this was not the case. The first reports of homologous recombination in the Chlamydiaceae family were published in the early 1990s. Later, the advent of whole-genome sequencing uncovered clear evidence for LGT in the evolution of the Chlamydiaceae, although the acquisition of tetracycline resistance in Chlamydia (C.) suis is the only recent instance of interphylum LGT. In contrast, genome and in vitro studies have shown that intraspecies DNA exchange occurs frequently and can even cross species barriers between closely related chlamydiae, such as between C. trachomatis, C. muridarum, and C. suis. Additionally, whole-genome analysis led to the identification of various DNA repair and recombination systems in C. trachomatis, but the exact machinery of DNA uptake and homologous recombination in the chlamydiae has yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we reviewed the current state of knowledge concerning LGT in Chlamydia by focusing on the effect of homologous recombination on the chlamydial genome, the recombination machinery, and its potential as a genetic tool for Chlamydia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Marti
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Hanna Marti,
| | - Robert J. Suchland
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Daniel D. Rockey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
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Barati S, Bakhtiari NM, Shokoohizadeh L, Ghorbanpoor M, Momtaz H. Genotyping of Chlamydia abortus using multiple loci variable number of tandem repeats analysis technique. BMC Vet Res 2022; 18:54. [PMID: 35073930 PMCID: PMC8785486 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-022-03142-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The correlation between various factors (geographical region, clinical incidence, and host type) and the genomic heterogeneity has been shown in several bacterial strains including Chlamydia abortus. Methods The aim of this study was to survey the predominant types of C. abortus strains isolated from ruminants in Iran by the multiple loci variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) method. C. abortus infection was evaluated in a total of 117 aborted fetuses by real-time PCR. The isolation was done via the inoculation of the positive samples in chicken embryo and the L929 cell line. Genotyping was carried out by MLVA typing technique. Results Forty samples (34.2%) were detected with C. abortus infection; however, chlamydial infection in ruminants of Charmahal/Bakhtiari (3 bovines and 35 sheep) was higher than that of Khuzestan (2 sheep). All MLVA types (MT1-MT8) were detected in the collected samples from Charmahal/Bakhtiari but only 2 types (MT1 and MT3) were reported in samples from Khuzestan. The main MT type was MT1 (32% of aborted fetuses). Although in this study only 9 cow samples were investigated, they possessed similar clusters to those obtained from sheep (MT1 and MT6). Variation of type in sheep samples (MT1 to MT8) was more than that of bovine samples (MT1, and MT6). Conclusion By this research revealed that C.abortus was responsible for a significant percentage of ruminant abortion in two studied regions. The main MT type was MT1 (32% of aborted fetuses) and also 7 different genotypes were involved in infections. So it is concluded that diversity in C.abortus genotyping is high in two regions.
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Kim H, Kwak W, Yoon SH, Kang DK, Kim H. Horizontal gene transfer of Chlamydia: Novel insights from tree reconciliation. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195139. [PMID: 29621277 PMCID: PMC5886423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent comparative genomics studies have suggested that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is one of the major processes in bacterial evolution. In this study, HGT events of 64 Chlamydia strains were investigated based on the pipeline employed in HGTree database constructed in our recent study. Tree reconciliation method was applied in order to calculate feasible HGT events. Following initial detection and an evaluation procedure, evidence of the HGT was identified in 548 gene families including 42 gene families transferred from outside of Chlamydiae phylum with high reliability. The donor species of inter-phylum HGT consists of 12 different bacterial and archaeal phyla, suggesting that Chlamydia might have even more various host range than in previous reports. In addition, each species of Chlamydia showed varying preference towards HGT, and genes engaged in HGT within Chlamydia and between other species showed different functional distribution. Also, examination of individual gene flows of niche-specific genes suggested that many of such genes are transferred mainly within Chlamydia genus. Our results uncovered novel features of HGT acting on Chlamydia genome evolution, and it would be also strong evidence that HGT is an ongoing process for intracellular pathogens. We expect that the results provide more insight into lineage- and niche-specific adaptations regarding their infectivity and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyaekang Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woori Kwak
- C&K genomics, Seoul National University Research Park, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sook Hee Yoon
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Kyung Kang
- Department of Animal Resources Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Heebal Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- C&K genomics, Seoul National University Research Park, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Jordá GB, Hanke SE, Ramos-Rincón JM, Mosmann J, Lopéz ML, Entrocassi AC, Cuffini C. [Prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of Chlamydia trachomatis in a population of women in Posadas, Misiones]. REVISTA ESPANOLA DE QUIMIOTERAPIA : PUBLICACION OFICIAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ESPANOLA DE QUIMIOTERAPIA 2018; 31:21-26. [PMID: 29451375 PMCID: PMC6159361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent bacteria causing sexually transmitted infections. In women, this infection can cause cervicitis and urethritis, although it's usually asymptomatic. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of C. trachomatis in women attending the lab Instituto de Previsión Social and detect the genotypes. METHODS Endocervical samples from 505 symptomatic and asymptomatic women were assayed. It was determined the presence of C. trachomatis by PCR through amplification of a fragment of the cryptic plasmid. Positive samples were genotyped by the partial amplification of the ompA gene and analyzed phylogenetically. RESULTS Forty-three positive samples were detected to infection with C. trachomatis, obtaining a prevalence of 8.5% (IC 95%: 6.4-11.3%). The prevalence of C. trachomatis was higher in women with vaginal symptoms [11.3% (30/265) vs. 5.4% (13/240)] (p = 0.018), as well as in women under 26 year-old [11.5% (28/244) vs. 6.2% (15/246)] (p = 0.021). Based on phylogenetic analysis, it was observed that 62% of the samples were genotype E, 15% genotype J, 15% genotype D, and 8% genotype F. CONCLUSIONS This work is the first contribution on the molecular epidemiology of C. trachomatis in the Misiones province, Argentina, which shows the rate of prevalence of this bacterium and offers information on circulating genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graciela Beatriz Jordá
- Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Argentina,Laboratorio Instituto de Previsión Social de Misiones. Argentina
| | - Silvina Elizabeth Hanke
- Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Argentina
| | | | - Jessica Mosmann
- Instituto de Virología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Argentina
| | | | - Andrea Carolina Entrocassi
- Cátedra de Microbiología Clínica. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina
| | - Cecilia Cuffini
- Instituto de Virología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Argentina
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Joseph SJ, Marti H, Didelot X, Castillo-Ramirez S, Read TD, Dean D. Chlamydiaceae Genomics Reveals Interspecies Admixture and the Recent Evolution of Chlamydia abortus Infecting Lower Mammalian Species and Humans. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:3070-84. [PMID: 26507799 PMCID: PMC4994753 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydiaceae are obligate intracellular bacteria that cause a diversity of severe infections among humans and livestock on a global scale. Identification of new species since 1989 and emergence of zoonotic infections, including abortion in women, underscore the need for genome sequencing of multiple strains of each species to advance our knowledge of evolutionary dynamics across Chlamydiaceae. Here, we genome sequenced isolates from avian, lower mammalian and human hosts. Based on core gene phylogeny, five isolates previously classified as Chlamydia abortus were identified as members of Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia pecorum. Chlamydia abortus is the most recently emerged species and is a highly monomorphic group that lacks the conserved virulence-associated plasmid. Low-level recombination and evidence for adaptation to the placenta echo evolutionary processes seen in recently emerged, highly virulent niche-restricted pathogens, such as Bacillus anthracis. In contrast, gene flow occurred within C. psittaci and other Chlamydiaceae species. The C. psittaci strain RTH, isolated from a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), is an outlying strain with admixture of C. abortus, C. psittaci, and its own population markers. An average nucleotide identity of less than 94% compared with other Chlamydiaceae species suggests that RTH belongs to a new species intermediary between C. psittaci and C. abortus. Hawks, as scavengers and predators, have extensive opportunities to acquire multiple species in their intestinal tract. This could facilitate transformation and homologous recombination with the potential for new species emergence. Our findings indicate that incubator hosts such as birds-of-prey likely promote Chlamydiaceae evolution resulting in novel pathogenic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep J Joseph
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
| | - Hanna Marti
- Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California
| | - Xavier Didelot
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Santiago Castillo-Ramirez
- Programa de Genomica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Timothy D Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine
| | - Deborah Dean
- Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, and University of California, Berkeley
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Bao X, Gylfe A, Sturdevant GL, Gong Z, Xu S, Caldwell HD, Elofsson M, Fan H. Benzylidene acylhydrazides inhibit chlamydial growth in a type III secretion- and iron chelation-independent manner. J Bacteriol 2014; 196:2989-3001. [PMID: 24914180 PMCID: PMC4135636 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01677-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydiae are widespread Gram-negative pathogens of humans and animals. Salicylidene acylhydrazides, developed as inhibitors of type III secretion system (T3SS) in Yersinia spp., have an inhibitory effect on chlamydial infection. However, these inhibitors also have the capacity to chelate iron, and it is possible that their antichlamydial effects are caused by iron starvation. Therefore, we have explored the modification of salicylidene acylhydrazides with the goal to uncouple the antichlamydial effect from iron starvation. We discovered that benzylidene acylhydrazides, which cannot chelate iron, inhibit chlamydial growth. Biochemical and genetic analyses suggest that the derivative compounds inhibit chlamydiae through a T3SS-independent mechanism. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in a Chlamydia muridarum variant resistant to benzylidene acylhydrazides, but it may be necessary to segregate the mutations to differentiate their roles in the resistance phenotype. Benzylidene acylhydrazides are well tolerated by host cells and probiotic vaginal Lactobacillus species and are therefore of potential therapeutic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Bao
- Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA Department of Pharmacology, Nantong University School of Pharmacy, Nantong, People's Republic of China
| | - Asa Gylfe
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Gail L Sturdevant
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Zheng Gong
- Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Shuang Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Harlan D Caldwell
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | | | - Huizhou Fan
- Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
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Al-Kuhlani M, Rothchild J, Pal S, de la Maza LM, Ouburg S, Morré SA, Dean D, Ojcius DM. TRAIL-R1 is a negative regulator of pro-inflammatory responses and modulates long-term sequelae resulting from Chlamydia trachomatis infections in humans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93939. [PMID: 24695582 PMCID: PMC3973638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system eliminates Chlamydia trachomatis infection through inflammation. However, uncontrolled inflammation can enhance pathology. In mice, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor (TRAIL-R), known for its effects on apoptosis, also regulates inflammation. In humans, the four homologues of TRAIL-R had never been investigated for effects on inflammation. Here, we examined whether TRAIL-R regulates inflammation during chlamydial infection. We examined TRAIL-R1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an Ecuadorian cohort with and without C. trachomatis infections. There was a highly significant association for the TRAIL+626 homozygous mutant GG for infection vs no infection in this population. To confirm the results observed in the human population, primary lung fibroblasts and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were isolated from wildtype (WT) and TRAIL-R-deficient mice, and TRAIL-R1 levels in human cervical epithelial cells were depleted by RNA interference. Infection of BMDMs and primary lung fibroblasts with C. trachomatis strain L2, or the murine pathogen C. muridarum, led to higher levels of MIP2 mRNA expression or IL-1β secretion from TRAIL-R-deficient cells than WT cells. Similarly, depletion of TRAIL-R1 expression in human epithelial cells resulted in a higher level of IL-8 mRNA expression and protein secretion during C. trachomatis infection. We conclude that human TRAIL-R1 SNPs and murine TRAIL-R modulate the innate immune response against chlamydial infection. This is the first evidence that human TRAIL-R1 is a negative regulator of inflammation and plays a role in modulating Chlamydia pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mufadhal Al-Kuhlani
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California Merced, Merced, California, United States of America
| | - James Rothchild
- Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Sukumar Pal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Luis M. de la Maza
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Sander Ouburg
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Research School V-ICI, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Servaas A. Morré
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Research School V-ICI, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute of Public Health Genomics, Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Research School GROW, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Deborah Dean
- Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - David M. Ojcius
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California Merced, Merced, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Putman TE, Suchland RJ, Ivanovitch JD, Rockey DD. Culture-independent sequence analysis of Chlamydia trachomatis in urogenital specimens identifies regions of recombination and in-patient sequence mutations. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2013; 159:2109-2117. [PMID: 23842467 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.070029-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A culture-independent genome sequencing approach was developed and used to examine genomic variability in Chlamydia trachomatis-positive specimens that were collected from patients in the Seattle, WA, USA, area. The procedure is based on an immunomagnetic separation approach with chlamydial LPS-specific mAbs, followed by DNA purification and total DNA amplification, and subsequent Illumina-based sequence analysis. Quality of genome sequencing was independent of the total number of inclusion-forming units determined for the sample and the amount of non-chlamydial DNA in the Illumina libraries. A geographically and temporally linked clade of isolates was identified with evidence of several different regions of recombination and variable ompA sequence types, suggesting that recombination is common within outbreaks. Culture-independent sequence analysis revealed a linkage pattern at two nucleotide positions that was unique to the genomes of isolates from patients, but not in C. trachomatis recombinants generated in vitro. These data demonstrated that culture-independent sequence analysis can be used to rapidly and inexpensively collect genome data from patients infected by C. trachomatis, and that this approach can be used to examine genomic variation within this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E Putman
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Robert J Suchland
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Daniel D Rockey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Jeffrey BM, Suchland RJ, Eriksen SG, Sandoz KM, Rockey DD. Genomic and phenotypic characterization of in vitro-generated Chlamydia trachomatis recombinants. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:142. [PMID: 23786423 PMCID: PMC3703283 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pre-genomic and post-genomic studies demonstrate that chlamydiae actively recombine in vitro and in vivo, although the molecular and cellular biology of this process is not well understood. In this study, we determined the genome sequence of twelve Chlamydia trachomatis recombinants that were generated in vitro under antibiotic selection. These strains were used to explore the process of recombination in Chlamydia spp., including analysis of candidate recombination hotspots, and to correlate known C. trachomatis in vitro phenotypes with parental phenotypes and genotypes. Results Each of the 190 examined recombination events was the product of homologous recombination, and no candidate targeting motifs were identified at recombination sites. There was a single deletion event in one recombinant progeny that resulted in the removal of 17.1 kilobases between two rRNA operons. There was no evidence for preference for any specific region of the chromosome for recombination, and analyses of a total of over 200 individual recombination events do not provide any support for recombination hotspots in vitro. Two measurable phenotypes were analyzed in these studies. First, the efficiency of attachment to host cells in the absence of centrifugation was examined, and this property segregated to regions of the chromosome that carry the polymorphic membrane protein (Pmp) genes. Second, the formation of secondary inclusions within cells varied among recombinant progeny, but this did not cleanly segregate to specific regions of the chromosome. Conclusions These experiments examined the process of recombination in C. trachomatis and identified tools that can be used to associate phenotype with genotype in recombinant progeny. There were no data supporting the hypothesis that particular nucleotide sequences are preferentially used for recombination in vitro. Selected phenotypes can be segregated by analysis of recombination, and this technology may be useful in preliminary analysis of the relationship of genetic variation to phenotypic variation in the chlamydiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan M Jeffrey
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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