Elsevier

Plasmid

Volume 16, Issue 1, July 1986, Pages 52-62
Plasmid

Regular article
A common plasmid of Chlamydia trachomatis

https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-619X(86)90079-XGet rights and content

Abstract

A 7.4-kb plasmid is a common and perhaps essential component of the Chlamydia trachomatis genome. This plasmid occurs as 10 copies per chlamydial chromosomal equivalent. It is unable to replicate in Escherichia coli. Complete plasmid genomes from eight serovars of C. trachomatis have been isolated in E. coli as cloned sequences ligated to pBR322. Restriction enzyme cleavage site mapping indicates that these plasmids are closely related. Homologous plasmid sequences have also been detected by DNA hybridization in all of the 200 clinically isolated strains of C. trachomatis which have been examined. DNA sequences homologous to the C. trachomatis plasmid were not found in eucaryotic DNA nor in a plasmid of similar size isolated from C. psittaci. C. trachomatis plasmid genes are expressed in vivo and the plasmid encoded gene products may play a role in the intracellular growth of this organism. Plasmid encoded genes were also expressed from the cloned C. trachomatis plasmid in E. coli minicells and using an E. coli S-30 in vitro transcription translation extract.

References (39)

  • H.D. Caldwell et al.

    Antigenic analysis of chlamydiae by two-dimensional immunelectrophoresis. II. A trachoma-LGV specific antigen

    J. Immunol

    (1975)
  • H.D. Caldwell et al.

    Purification and partial characterization of the major outer membrane protein of C. trachomatis

    Infect. Immun

    (1981)
  • J.H. Crosa et al.

    Plasmids

  • S. Falkow et al.

    Bacterial plasmids—An overview

    Clin. Invest. Med

    (1983)
  • R.E. Gill et al.

    Identification of the protein encoded by the transposable element Tn3 which is required for its transposition

    Nature (London)

    (1979)
  • J.T. Grayston et al.

    New knowledge of Chlamydiae and the diseases they cause

    J. Infect. Dis

    (1975)
  • M. Grunstein et al.

    Colony hybridization: A method for the isolation of cloned DNAs that contain a specific gene

  • T.P. Hatch et al.

    Structural and polypeptide differences between envelopes of infective and reproductive life cycle form of Chlamydia spp

    J. Bacteriol

    (1983)
  • S.I. Hull et al.

    Construction and expression of recombinant plasmids encoding type 1 or d-mannose-resistant pili from a urinary tract infection E. coli isolate

    Infect. Immun

    (1981)
  • Cited by (132)

    • A multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis

      2015, Experimental and Molecular Pathology
      Citation Excerpt :

      In our primer design, we targeted multi-copy regions within the three STI genomes to achieve highest sensitivity. For Chlamydia trachomatis, we targeted the multi-copy cryptic plasmid thus, not only enhancing sensitivity, but also ensuring the detection of all Chlamydia trachomatis serovars including the Swedish nvCT serovar (Caliendo et al., 2005; Palmer and Falkow, 1986; Unemo & Clarke, 2011). After extensive PCR optimization, we devised a touchdown PCR protocol with extension temperatures gradually decreasing from 70 °C to 60 °C as shown in Fig. 1A. With this optimal protocol, we were able to precisely resolve the melt peaks for TV at 78 °C, NG at 82.3 °C, CT at 85.7 °C, and IC2M at 92 °C (Fig. 1B).

    • Dendrimer-enabled transformation of Chlamydia trachomatis

      2013, Microbial Pathogenesis
      Citation Excerpt :

      Importantly, studies from our group have indicated that many of these latter genes are involved in/required for persistent infection [e.g., [18]; APH personal communication]. Virtually all chlamydial strains also harbor a plasmid of ∼7.5 kbp [19–22], but studies have demonstrated that the functions encoded on it are not required for survival [e.g., [23–26]; see also [27]]. Interestingly, C. trachomatis produces iodine-stainable glycogen in its inclusions during the developmental cycle [e.g., [24]].

    • Assessment of the load and transcriptional dynamics of Chlamydia trachomatis plasmid according to strains' tissue tropism

      2013, Microbiological Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      Apart from the highly conserved chromosome (>98% of similarity among strains) (Harris et al., 2012), C. trachomatis naturally harbours a ∼7.5 kb plasmid, which was firstly identified in 1980 (Lovett et al., 1980). This plasmid is also highly conserved among strains (Comanducci et al., 1990; Harris et al., 2012) and possesses eight open reading frames (ORFs) that are known to be transcribed and translated (Palmer and Falkow, 1986; Ricci et al., 1993, 1995), as well as two small anti-sense RNAs (sRNAs) (Ricci et al., 1993; Albrecht et al., 2010). The presence of the highly conserved plasmid among several chlamydial species suggests that it was acquired early in the evolution of Chlamydiae and must be subjected to a strong selective pressure for its maintenance by these bacteria that shows a reduced chromosome size, given their intracellular nature (Andersson and Kurland, 1998; Zomorodipour and Andersson, 1999).

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text