MBIO 4823 Final Review IX

Chlamydia trachomatis:

Characteristics: small Gram + rods, no detectable Peptidoglycan, obligate

intracellular parasite, reduced genome size, 2 stage life-cycle

• Chlamydia cannot live outside of the body, cervical infection is the most
common STD

• No PG, high osmolarity of interior of human cells prevents cell lysis

• Modified membrane structure: membranes have proteins containing multiple

disulfide cross-links

o Major outer membrane protein (MOMP), Polymorphic outer membrane

protein (POMP), Cysteine-rich proteins (CRP)

Symptoms:

• Women:

o Cervicitis: inflammation of the tissues of the cervix

o Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

o Endometritis: inflammation of the endometrium

o Premature birth

• Men:

o Prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate gland

o Epididymitis (covering of the testis): epididymis inflammation

• Both Sexes

o Urethritis, Infertility, Proctitis (rectal disease and bleeding), arthritis

Life Cycle of Chlamydia: two cellular types

• Elementary Body (EB): A small, dense cell that is resistant to drying and
means of dispersal. Non multiplying, infectious agent

• Reticulate Body (RB): larger, less dense cell, vegetative form, multiplies (2-3
hours); non-infectious, multiply inside hosts cells to form a large inoculums
for transmission
Elementary Body (EB) invasion: 3 ways of cell entry

1. Phagocytosis: (cell eating) the process by which cells ingest large objects

a. Pseudopodia are formed as the membrane folds around the object and
the objects is sealed into a large vacuole known as a phagosome

2. Pinocytosis: (cell drinking) process is concerned with uptake of solutes and

proteins, small vacuoles formed

3. Endocytosis: (receptor mediated) material absorbed form the outside by

engulfing it with the cell membrane; substances absorbed across the
membrane via association with specific receptors

a. EB’s enter endosomes and do not fuse with lysosomes, cause change
in membrane, and actin cytoskeleton (take lipids from Golgi
membranes)

b. EBs transform into RB and replicate (every 2-3 hours) as # of RBs

increase the endosome membrane expands

c. Little harm done in RB replication stage, when EB’s produced the host
cell membrane is breached releasing infective particles; released RB’s
die rapidly, but EB’s go on to infect other cells

Lymphogranuloma venereum

• Caused by distinct strains of C. trachomatis, only chlamydial infection that

invades beyond epithelial layer

• Causes fever, chills, anorexia, then inflammation and swelling of lymph nodes

Prevention and Treatment

• No vaccine

• Detection a problem: women needed cervical cell sample, men need urethral
stripping; gram staining is time consuming and expensive

• Rapid diagnostic tests now available: DNA, PCR, and fluorescent antibody
tests (only require urine sample)