Previous Article | Next Article 
Infect Immun, April 1998, p. 1317-1324, Vol. 66, No. 4
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of the Genes
Coding for the Highly Immunogenic Cluster of 90-Kilodalton Envelope
Proteins from the Chlamydia psittaci Subtype That Causes
Abortion in Sheep
David
Longbottom,*
Mary
Russell,
Susanna M.
Dunbar,
Gareth E.
Jones, and
Alan J.
Herring
Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh EH17
7JH, United Kingdom
Received 11 July 1997/Returned for modification 10 September
1997/Accepted 9 January 1998
Proteins present in the outer membrane of chlamydiae that are
involved in mucosal epithelial cell infection must clearly be identified and characterized if we are to understand and modify the
pathogenic mechanisms utilized by these organisms. We have identified
and isolated a family of four genes encoding putative outer membrane
proteins (POMPs), a group of proteins of approximately 90 kDa present
in the outer membrane of the subtype of Chlamydia psittaci
that causes ovine enzootic abortion (strain S26/3). These proteins,
although minor components, are major immunogens, as shown by the
immunoblotting of chlamydial outer membrane complexes with postabortion
sheep sera, and are therefore potential diagnostic and/or protective
antigen candidates. Immunoblotting of the expressed amino- and
carboxy-terminal halves of one of the POMPs with postabortion sheep
sera showed that the major humoral immune response appeared to be
directed solely against the amino-terminal half. This result, in
combination with the positive immunofluorescence staining of S26/3-infected cells using POMP-specific (specific to the
amino-terminal half of the proteins) monoclonal antibodies, suggests
the probable surface localization of the POMPs and, more specifically,
the surface exposure of the amino-terminal half of these proteins. The
four pomp genes are highly homologous, sharing 82 to 100% similarity with each other (two of the genes are identical). Genes with
strong and weak homologies were also detected in C. psittaci avian and feline pneumonitis strains, respectively. No
pomp homologs were found in strains of C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae, but this does not
preclude their existence. The absence of homology with various subtypes
of C. pecorum, which complicate the diagnosis of the ovine
abortion subtype, indicates the possible suitability of the these
90-kDa proteins as serodiagnostic antigens.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Moredun Research
Institute, International Research Centre, Pentlands Science Park, Bush
Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 OP2, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 (0)131
664 3262. Fax: 44 (0)131 664 8001. E-mail:
longd{at}mri.sari.ac.uk.

Present address: Department of Structural Biochemistry, University
of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, United Kingdom.

Present address: The Public Health Laboratory, Kingsdown, Bristol
BS2 8EL, United Kingdom.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Swanson, K. A., Taylor, L. D., Frank, S. D., Sturdevant, G. L., Fischer, E. R., Carlson, J. H., Whitmire, W. M., Caldwell, H. D.
(2009). Chlamydia trachomatis Polymorphic Membrane Protein D Is an Oligomeric Autotransporter with a Higher-Order Structure. Infect. Immun.
77: 508-516
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Ohya, K., Takahara, Y., Kuroda, E., Koyasu, S., Hagiwara, S., Sakamoto, M., Hisaka, M., Morizane, K., Ishiguro, S., Yamaguchi, T., Fukushi, H.
(2008). Chlamydophila felis CF0218 Is a Novel TMH Family Protein with Potential as a Diagnostic Antigen for Diagnosis of C. felis Infection. CVI
15: 1606-1615
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Jorgensen, I., Valdivia, R. H.
(2008). Pmp-Like Proteins Pls1 and Pls2 Are Secreted into the Lumen of the Chlamydia trachomatis Inclusion. Infect. Immun.
76: 3940-3950
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Ortega, N., Navarro, J. A., Nicolas, L., Buendia, A. J., Caro, M. R., Del Rio, L., Martinez, C. M., Cuello, F., Salinas, J., Gallego, M. C.
(2007). Evaluation of Chlamydophila abortus DNA extraction protocols for polymerase chain reaction diagnosis in paraffin-embedded tissues. jvdi
19: 421-425
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Neff, L., Daher, S., Muzzin, P., Spenato, U., Gulacar, F., Gabay, C., Bas, S.
(2007). Molecular Characterization and Subcellular Localization of Macrophage Infectivity Potentiator, a Chlamydia trachomatis Lipoprotein. J. Bacteriol.
189: 4739-4748
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Livingstone, M., Entrican, G., Wattegedera, S., Buxton, D., McKendrick, I. J., Longbottom, D.
(2005). Antibody Responses to Recombinant Protein Fragments of the Major Outer Membrane Protein and Polymorphic Outer Membrane Protein POMP90 in Chlamydophila abortus-Infected Pregnant Sheep. CVI
12: 770-777
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Thomson, N. R., Yeats, C., Bell, K., Holden, M. T.G., Bentley, S. D., Livingstone, M., Cerdeno-Tarraga, A. M., Harris, B., Doggett, J., Ormond, D., Mungall, K., Clarke, K., Feltwell, T., Hance, Z., Sanders, M., Quail, M. A., Price, C., Barrell, B. G., Parkhill, J., Longbottom, D.
(2005). The Chlamydophila abortus genome sequence reveals an array of variable proteins that contribute to interspecies variation. Genome Res
15: 629-640
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Eko, F. O., He, Q., Brown, T., McMillan, L., Ifere, G. O., Ananaba, G. A., Lyn, D., Lubitz, W., Kellar, K. L., Black, C. M., Igietseme, J. U.
(2004). A Novel Recombinant Multisubunit Vaccine against Chlamydia. J. Immunol.
173: 3375-3382
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Bouakane, A., Benchaieb, I., Rodolakis, A.
(2003). Abortive Potency of Chlamydophila abortus in Pregnant Mice Is Not Directly Correlated with Placental and Fetal Colonization Levels. Infect. Immun.
71: 7219-7222
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Longbottom, D.
(2003). Chlamydial vaccine development. J Med Microbiol
52: 537-540
[Full Text]
-
Vretou, E., Giannikopoulou, P., Longbottom, D., Psarrou, E.
(2003). Antigenic Organization of the N-Terminal Part of the Polymorphic Outer Membrane Proteins 90, 91A, and 91B of Chlamydophilaabortus. Infect. Immun.
71: 3240-3250
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Longbottom, D., Fairley, S., Chapman, S., Psarrou, E., Vretou, E., Livingstone, M.
(2002). Serological Diagnosis of Ovine Enzootic Abortion by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay with a Recombinant Protein Fragment of the Polymorphic Outer Membrane Protein POMP90 of Chlamydophila abortus. J. Clin. Microbiol.
40: 4235-4243
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Lindquist, E. A., Marks, J. D., Kleba, B. J., Stephens, R. S.
(2002). Phage-display antibody detection of Chlamydia trachomatis-associated antigens. Microbiology
148: 443-451
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Vretou, E., Giannikopoulou, P., Psarrou, E.
(2001). Polymorphic outer-membrane proteins of Chlamydophila abortus are glycosylated. Microbiology
147: 3303-3310
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Tanzer, R. J., Hatch, T. P.
(2001). Characterization of Outer Membrane Proteins in Chlamydia trachomatis LGV Serovar L2. J. Bacteriol.
183: 2686-2690
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Tanzer, R. J., Longbottom, D., Hatch, T. P.
(2001). Identification of Polymorphic Outer Membrane Proteins of Chlamydia psittaci 6BC. Infect. Immun.
69: 2428-2434
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Entrican, G, Buxton, D, Longbottom, D
(2001). Chlamydial infection in sheep: immune control versus fetal pathology. JRSM
94: 273-277
[Full Text]
-
Bavoil, P. M., Hsia, R.-c., Ojcius, D. M.
(2000). Closing in on Chlamydia and its intracellular bag of tricks. Microbiology
146: 2723-2731
[Full Text]
-
Rockey, D. D., Lenart, J., Stephens, R. S.
(2000). Genome Sequencing and Our Understanding of Chlamydiae. Infect. Immun.
68: 5473-5479
[Full Text]
-
Yu, X.-J., McBride, J. W., Walker, D. H.
(1999). Genetic Diversity of the 28-Kilodalton Outer Membrane Protein Gene in Human Isolates of Ehrlichia chaffeensis. J. Clin. Microbiol.
37: 1137-1143
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Knudsen, K., Madsen, A. S., Mygind, P., Christiansen, G., Birkelund, S.
(1999). Identification of Two Novel Genes Encoding 97- to 99-Kilodalton Outer Membrane Proteins of Chlamydia pneumoniae. Infect. Immun.
67: 375-383
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Wyllie, S., Ashley, R. H., Longbottom, D., Herring, A. J.
(1998). The Major Outer Membrane Protein of Chlamydia psittaci Functions as a Porin-Like Ion Channel. Infect. Immun.
66: 5202-5207
[Abstract]
[Full Text]