title: Conserved type III secretion system exerts important roles in Chlamydia trachomatis.
abstract: Upon infection, Chlamydiae alter host cellular functions in a variety of ways. Chlamydial infection prevents host cell apoptosis, induces re-organization of the actin cytoskeleton and alters host cellular signaling mechanisms. Chlamydia is among the many pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria that employ the type III secretion system (T3SS) to overcome host defenses and exploit available resources. T3SS are used by many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens to manipulate eukaryotic host cells through the delivery of effector proteins into their cytosol and membranes. T3SS is an evolutionarily refined, virulence determinant of Gram-negative bacteria where more than 20 proteins form an apparatus, generally termed injectisome, to achieve the vectorial secretion and translocation of anti-host effector proteins. This review describes challenges and recent advances that have revealed how Chlamydia trachomatis utilizes diversification to produce a conserved T3SS that exerts an important role in Chlamydia trachomatis.
authors.affiliation: Pathogenic Biology Institute, School of Medicine, University of South China Hengyang City, Hunan Province, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Pathogenic Biology Institute, School of Medicine, University of South China Hengyang City, Hunan Province, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhongyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000378:metabolism; D021381:Protein Transport; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; chaperones; effectors; injectisomes; regulators; type III secretion system