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Journal of Bacteriology, July 2004, p. 4295-4306, Vol. 186, No. 13
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.13.4295-4306.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Recombination in the Genome of Chlamydia trachomatis Involving the Polymorphic Membrane Protein C Gene Relative to ompA and Evidence for Horizontal Gene Transfer

João P. Gomes,1,2 William J. Bruno,3 Maria J. Borrego,1 and Deborah Dean2,4*

Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Health, Lisbon, Portugal,1 Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544,3 Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California 94609,2 University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California 941434

Received 23 October 2003/ Accepted 25 March 2004

Genome sequencing of Chlamydia trachomatis serovar D has identified polymorphic membrane proteins (Pmp) that are a newly recognized protein family unique to the Chlamydiaceae family. Cumulative data suggest that these diverse proteins are expressed on the cell surface and might be immunologically important. We performed phylogenetic analyses and statistical modeling with 18 reference serovars and 1 genovariant of C. trachomatis to examine the evolutionary characteristics and comparative genetics of PmpC and pmpC, the gene that encodes this protein. We also examined 12 recently isolated ocular and urogenital clinical samples, since reference serovars are laboratory adapted and may not represent strains that are presently responsible for human disease. Phylogenetic reconstructions revealed a clear distinction for disease groups, corresponding to levels of tissue specificity and virulence of the organism. Further, the most prevalent serovars, E, F, and Da, formed a distinct clade. According to the results of comparative genetic analyses, these three genital serovars contained two putative insertion sequence (IS)-like elements with 10- and 15-bp direct repeats, respectively, while all other genital serovars contained one IS-like element. Ocular trachoma serovars also contained both insertions. Previously, no IS-like elements have been identified for Chlamydiaceae. Surprisingly, 7 (58%) of 12 clinical isolates revealed pmpC sequences that were identical to the sequences of other serovars, providing clear evidence for a high rate of whole-gene recombination. Recombination and the differential presence of IS-like elements among distinct disease and prevalence groups may contribute to genome plasticity, which may lead to adaptive changes in tissue tropism and pathogenesis over the course of the organism's evolution.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, 5700 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland, CA 94609. Phone: (510) 450-7655. Fax: (510) 450-7910. E-mail: ddean{at}chori.org.

Journal of Bacteriology, July 2004, p. 4295-4306, Vol. 186, No. 13
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.13.4295-4306.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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