title: Membrane vesicle production by Chlamydia trachomatis as an adaptive response.
abstract: Bacteria have evolved specific adaptive responses to cope with changing environments. These adaptations include stress response phenotypes with dynamic modifications of the bacterial cell envelope and generation of membrane vesicles (MVs). The obligate intracellular bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, typically has a biphasic lifestyle, but can enter into an altered growth state typified by morphologically aberrant chlamydial forms, termed persistent growth forms, when induced by stress in vitro. How C. trachomatis can adapt to a persistent growth state in host epithelial cells in vivo is not well understood, but is an important question, since it extends the host-bacterial relationship in vitro and has thus been indicated as a survival mechanism in chronic chlamydial infections. Here, we review recent findings on the mechanistic aspects of bacterial adaptation to stress with a focus on how C. trachomatis remodels its envelope, produces MVs, and the potential important consequences of MV production with respect to host-pathogen interactions. Emerging data suggest that the generation of MVs may be an important mechanism for C. trachomatis intracellular survival of stress, and thus may aid in the establishment of a chronic infection in human genital epithelial cells.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Kyla M
authors: KM
authors: Frohlich
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA ; Department of Neonatology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorder, The Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors: Ziyu
authors: Z
authors: Hua
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Alison J
authors: AJ
authors: Quayle
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Maria E
authors: ME
authors: Lewis
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia Athens, GA, USA.
authors: Chau-wen
authors: CW
authors: Chou
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Miao
authors: M
authors: Luo
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Lyndsey R
authors: LR
authors: Buckner
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Shen
mesh_terms: D055252:Cell-Derived Microparticles / Q000378:metabolism*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D013312:Stress, Physiological
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; adaptive response; membrane vesicles; persistent growth state; stress