Open AccessAltered developmental expression of polymorphic membrane proteins in penicillin‐stressed Chlamydia trachomatis
Author(s) -
Carrasco Jose A.,
Tan Chun,
Rank Roger G.,
Hsia Ruching,
Bavoil Patrik M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
cellular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.542
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1462-5822
pISSN - 1462-5814
DOI - 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2011.01598.x
Subject(s) - chlamydiae , biology , chlamydia trachomatis , phenotype , chlamydiales , gene , chlamydiaceae , gene expression , chlamydia , transcriptome , genetics , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary Late Chlamydia trachomatis inclusions express each member of the surface‐exposed polymorphic membrane protein family (Pmp subtypes A through I) with a reproducible distribution of fully‐on, fully‐off and intermediate phenotypes. This observation is consistent with observed variable Pmp antibody profiles in C. trachomatis ‐infected patients and has led to the hypothesis that the pmp gene family forms the basis of a phase variation‐like mechanism of antigenic variation. Here we investigate and compare the developmental expression of each of the nine pmp genes under conditions of optimal in vitro growth with that under conditions that promote prolonged survival of chlamydiae when exposed to penicillin‐induced stress. We demonstrate that the pmp gene family includes distinct transcriptional units that are differentially expressed along development and differentially responsive to stress. In particular, our results indicate that expression of pmpA , pmpD and pmpI is uniquely unaffected by stress, suggesting that the PmpA, PmpD and PmpI proteins play a critical role in the pathogenesis of C. trachomatis .