title: Comparison of Murine Cervicovaginal Infection by Chlamydial Strains: Identification of Extrusions ShedIn vivo.
abstract: Chlamydia trachomatisis the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and preventable blindness. Untreated, asymptomatic infection as well as frequent re-infection are common and may drive pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility.In vivomodels of chlamydial infection continue to be instrumental in progress toward a vaccine and further elucidating the pathogenesis of this intracellular bacterium, however significant gaps in our understanding remain. Chlamydial host cell exit occurs via two mechanisms, lysis and extrusion, although the latter has yet to be reportedin vivoand its biological role is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate whether chlamydial extrusions are shedin vivofollowing infection with multiple strains ofChlamydia. We utilized an established C3H/HeJ murine cervicovaginal infection model withC. trachomatisserovars D and L2 and theChlamydia muridarumstrain MoPn to monitor the (i) time course of infection and mode of host cell exit, (ii) mucosal and systemic immune response to infection, and (iii) gross and histopathology following clearance of active infection. The key finding herein is the first identification of chlamydial extrusions shed from host cells in anin vivomodel. Extrusions, a recently appreciated mode of host cell exit and potential means of dissemination, had been previously observed solelyin vitro. The results of this study demonstrate that chlamydial extrusions existin vivoand thus warrant further investigation to determine their role in chlamydial pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Behar
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Snider
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Noah A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Erika I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Lutter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057138:Bacterial Shedding; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D023502:Chlamydia muridarum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005089:Exocytosis; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D060737:Reproductive Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: MoPn; Serovar D; chlamydia; extrusion; lymphogranuloma venereum; sexually transmitted infection; urogenital infection