Evolutionary dynamics of ompA, the gene encoding the Chlamydia trachomatis key antigen.

ABSTRACT: Chlamydia trachomatis is the trachoma agent and causes most bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Its major outer membrane protein (MOMP) is a well-known porin and adhesin and is the dominant antigen. So far, investigation of MOMP variability has been focused mainly on molecular epidemiological surveys. In contrast, we aimed to evaluate the impact of the host pressure on this key antigen by analyzing its evolutionary dynamics in 795 isolates from urogenital infections, taking into account the MOMP secondary structure and the sizes/positions of antigenic regions. One-third of the specimens showed a mutational drift from the corresponding genotype, where approximately 42% of the mutations had never been described. Amino acid alterations were sixfold more frequent within B-cell

SUBMITTER: Nunes A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2786549 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature