Open AccessChlamydophila felis CF0218 Is a Novel TMH Family Protein with Potential as a Diagnostic Antigen for Diagnosis of C. felis Infection
Author(s) -
Kenji Ohya,
Yu Takahara,
Etsuko Kuroda,
Saori Koyasu,
Shigeyuki Hagiwara,
Maki Sakamoto,
Mitsuaki Hisaka,
Kazuko Morizane,
Shinryou Ishiguro,
Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi,
Hideto Fukushi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
clinical and vaccine immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.649
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1556-6811
pISSN - 1556-679X
DOI - 10.1128/cvi.00134-08
Subject(s) - felis , biology , virology , cats , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , chlamydia trachomatis , chlamydia , antibody , immunology , medicine
Chlamydophila felis is a causative agent of acute and chronic conjunctivitis and pneumonia in cats (feline chlamydiosis). Also,C. felis is a suspected zoonotic agent of such diseases as non-Chlamydia trachomatis conjunctivitis in humans, although this is controversial. At present, there is no serodiagnostic system that specifically detectsC. felis infection conveniently. Current systems use antigens such as lipopolysaccharide that cross-react with all chlamydia species. In addition, it is difficult to distinguish between cats that are vaccinated with the commercial vaccine againstC. felis and cats that are infected withC. felis . Here, we describe a new candidate diagnostic antigen for diagnosis ofC. felis infection, CF0218, that was obtained by screening a genomic expression library ofC. felis Fe/C-56 withC. felis -immunized serum. CF0218 was a putative transmembrane head (TMH) family protein with bilobed hydrophobic motifs at its N terminus, and orthologues of CF0218 were not found in theChlamydophila pneumoniae orChlamydia trachomatis genomes. The recombinant CF0218 was not recognized by antiserum againstC. trachomatis , suggesting that CF0218 isC. felis specific. CF0218 transcription during the course ofC. felis infection was confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR. By indirect immunofluorescence analysis, CF0218 was colocalized with theC. felis -formed inclusion bodies in the infected cells. The antibody response against CF0218 was elevated followingC. felis infection but not by vaccination in experimentally vaccinated and infected cats. These results suggest that CF0218, a novel TMH family protein ofC. felis , possesses potential as aC. felis infection-specific diagnostic antigen.