title: Extent and kinetics of genetic change in the omp1 gene of Chlamydia trachomatis in two villages with endemic trachoma.
abstract: Variants of Chlamydia trachomatis in two Gambian villages with hyperendemic trachoma were analyzed by omp1-based polymerase chain reaction and sequencing from conjunctival swabs. Samples collected over a 22-month period included a complete cross-sectional study of each village. Overall, 4 genovar A and 4 B variants were characterized by point mutations in the omp1 gene, resulting in changes in the inferred amino acid sequence. Two genovar A and 2 B variants accounted for 87% of the total ocular chlamydial infection in both villages. Although some flux in the prevalence of individual variants was observed overtime, their overall distribution remained remarkably stable. There was no evidence of major antigenic shift arising from recombination events at the omp1 locus as described for genital tract infection. These results indicate that omp1 variation in these two trachoma-hyperendemic communities is limited and unlikely to hamper development of trachoma vaccines based on the major outer membrane protein.
authors.affiliation: Southampton University Medical School, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pecharatana
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hampton
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pickett
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mabey
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000382:microbiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D005714:Gambia; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018272:Porins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014141:Trachoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018272:Porins; C071677:omp1 protein, Chlamydia trachomatis