Multiple genotypes of Chlamydia pneumoniae identified in human carotid plaque.
Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular respiratory pathogen that causes 10 % of community-acquired pneumonia and has been associated with cardiovascular disease. Both whole-genome sequencing and specific gene typing suggest that there is relatively little genetic variation in human isolates of C. pneumoniae. To date, there has been little genomic analysis of strains from human cardiovascular sites. The genotypes of C. pneumoniae present in human atherosclerotic carotid plaque were analysed and several polymorphisms in the variable domain 4 (VD4) region of the outer-membrane protein-A (ompA) gene and the intergenic region between the ygeD and uridine kinase (ygeD-urk) genes were found. While one genotype was identified that was the same as one reported previously in humans (respiratory and cardiovascular), another genotype was found that was identical to a genotype from non-human sources (frog/koala).
School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Australia.
Melanie
M
Cochrane
University of Queensland, Department of Surgery, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
Philip
P
Walker
Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
Harry
H
Gibbs
School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Australia.
Peter
P
Timms
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins