Open AccessPlasmid‐mediated transformation tropism of chlamydial biovars
Author(s) -
Song Lihua,
Carlson John H.,
Zhou Bing,
Virtaneva Kimmo,
Whitmire William M.,
Sturdevant Gail L.,
Porcella Stephen F.,
McClarty Grant,
Caldwell Harlan D.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pathogens and disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.983
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2049-632X
DOI - 10.1111/2049-632x.12104
Subject(s) - plasmid , biology , chlamydia trachomatis , virulence , transformation (genetics) , tropism , shuttle vector , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , serotype , tissue tropism , gene , vector (molecular biology) , genetics , virus , recombinant dna
Abstract C hlamydia trachomatis and C . muridarum are human and mouse pathogens, respectively, which show high conservation of gene order and content. Both species contain a common 7.5‐kb plasmid that is an important virulence factor. Recently described transformation systems have been used to characterize C . trachomatis L 2 plasmid gene functions; however, similar studies have not been reported for C . trachomatis ocular tropic serovar A or the mouse strain, C . muridarum . Here, we have conducted genetic experiments with C . trachomatis serovar A and C . muridarum and report the following: (1) successful transformation of C . muridarum and C . trachomatis serovar A is restricted to a shuttle vector with a C . muridarum or C . trachomatis serovar A plasmid backbone, respectively; (2) transformation of plasmid‐deficient C . muridarum with the C . muridarum‐ based shuttle vector complement glycogen accumulation and inclusion morphology; and (3) C . muridarum plasmid‐encoded P gp4 is a regulator of chromosomal ( glgA ) and plasmid ( pgp3 ) virulence genes. In summary, our findings show a previously unrecognized and unexpected role for the chlamydial plasmid in its transformation tropism and confirm the plasmids regulatory role of virulence genes in C . muridarum .