title: Cloning and sequence analysis of the major outer membrane protein genes of two Chlamydia psittaci strains.
abstract: We cloned and sequenced the gene encoding the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of two Chlamydia psittaci strains, guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis (GPIC) strain 1, and meningopneumonitis (Mn) strain Cal-10. Intraspecies alignment of the two C. psittaci MOMP genes revealed 80.6% similarity, and interspecies comparison of C. trachomatis and C. psittaci MOMP genes yielded about 68% similarity. As found previously for C. trachomatis MOMP sequences, stretches of predominantly conserved sequences of GPIC and Mn MOMPs were interrupted by four variable domains whose locations were identical to those of C. trachomatis MOMPs. Seven of eight cysteine residues were found at precisely the same positions in GPIC, Mn, and C. trachomatis MOMPs, emphasizing their importance in structure and function of the protein. Collectively, these results indicate that C. psittaci and C. trachomatis MOMP genes diverged from a common ancestor.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Structure and Function, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, Montana 59840.
authors.forename: Y X
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baehr
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002691:Chlamydophila psittaci / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins