title: The Chromosome-Encoded Hypothetical Protein TC0668 Is an Upper Genital Tract Pathogenicity Factor of Chlamydia muridarum.
abstract: We previously associated a missense mutation of the tc0668 gene of serial in vitro-passaged Chlamydia muridarum, a murine model of human urogenital C. trachomatis, with severely attenuated disease development in the upper genital tract of female mice. Since these mutants also contained a TC0237 Q117E missense mutation that enhances their in vitro infectivity, an effort was made here to isolate and characterize a tc0668 single mutant to determine its individual contribution to urogenital pathogenicity. Detailed genetic analysis of C. muridarum passages revealed a truncated variant with a G216* nonsense mutation of the 408-amino-acid TC0668 protein that does not produce a detectable product. Intracellular growth and infectivity of C. muridarum in vitro remain unaffected in the absence of TC0668. Intravaginal inoculation of the TC0668 null mutant into C3H/HeJ mice results in a typical course of lower genital tract infection but, unlike a pathogenic isogenic control, is unable to elicit significant chronic inflammation of the oviduct and fails to induce hydrosalpinx. Thus, TC0668 is demonstrated as an important chromosome-encoded urogenital pathogenicity factor of C. muridarum and the first with these characteristics to be discovered for a Chlamydia pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Turner Allen
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Siqi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Zhangsheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matulich
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keck
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beltrami
authors.affiliation: Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Pathobiology, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chaoqun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Pathobiology, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA Zhongg@UTHSCSA.edu.
authors.forename: Guangming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D023502:Chlamydia muridarum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D060737:Reproductive Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D037521:Virulence Factors