title: Chlamydia trachomatis elementary bodies possess proteins which bind to eucaryotic cell membranes.
abstract: Chlamydia trachomatis proteins were electrophoresed and then transferred to nitrocellulose paper to detect chlamydial proteins which bind to eucaryotic cell membranes. Resolved polypeptides of C. trachomatis serovars J and L2 were reacted with iodinated HeLa cell membranes and autoradiographed. Infectious elementary bodies of both serovars possess 31,000- and 18,000-dalton proteins which bind to HeLa cells. In contrast, noninfectious reticulate bodies do not possess eucaryotic cell-binding proteins. Both proteins are antigenic when reacted with hyperimmune rabbit antisera in immunoblots and antisera raised against the 31,000- and 18,000-dalton proteins are inhibitory to chlamydia-host cell association. In addition, these antisera exhibit neutralizing activity. Our data suggest that these putative chlamydial adhesins play a key role in the early steps of chlamydia-host cell interaction and that antibody directed against them may be protective.
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009500:Neutralization Tests
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins