Single-Inclusion Kinetics of Chlamydia trachomatis Development
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that can cause trachoma, cervicitis, urethritis, salpingitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. To establish infection in host cells, Chlamydia must complete a multiple-cell-type developmental cycle. The developmental cycle consists of specialized cells, the EB cell, which mediates infection of new host cells, and the RB cell, which replicates and eventually produces more EB cells to mediate the next round of infection. By developing and testing mathematical models to discriminate between two competing hypotheses for the nature of the signal controlling RB-to-EB cell type switching, we demonstrate that RB-to-EB development follows a cell-autonomous program that does not respond to environmental cues. Additionally, we show that RB-to-EB development is a function of chlamydial growth and division. This study serves to further our understanding of the chlamydial developmental cycle that is central to the bacterium’s pathogenesis.
Source: mSystems
Institutions: University of Idaho, Washington State University
Language: English
Subfield: Microbiology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,500
OpenAlex ID: W3092217152