Is lipopolysaccharide a factor in infectivity of Chlamydia trachomatis?

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 261 - 266
• Main Authors: Fadel, Sanaa, Eley, Adrian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.03.2008; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line, Tumor; Chlamydia Infections - microbiology; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia trachomatis - pathogenicity; Epithelial Cells - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lipid A - chemistry; Lipid A - metabolism; Lipopolysaccharides - chemistry; Lipopolysaccharides - metabolism; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Sugar Acids - chemistry; Sugar Acids - metabolism; Chlamydiales; Lipopolysaccharide; Bacteria; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydiaceae; Infectivity
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.47237-0

Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Medical Research, Unit of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK Correspondence Adrian Eley a.r.eley{at}sheffield.ac.uk Received 18 February 2007 Accepted 9 November 2007 Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major surface component of Chlamydia trachomatis , as with all Gram-negative bacteria. The effect of C. trachomatis LPS on C. trachomatis infectivity of human epithelial cells was investigated. C. trachomatis LPS and C. trachomatis LPS antibody significantly reduced infectivity, mostly in a dose-dependent manner. As the structure of LPS in C. trachomatis is simple and consists only of lipid A and 3-deoxy- D -manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo), we investigated whether lipid A or Kdo was inhibitory to chlamydial infectivity. Polymyxin B, as a lipid A inhibitor, and Kdo considerably reduced C. trachomatis infectivity. With all the LPS inhibitors used, there was greater inhibition against serovar E than serovar LGV. These results suggest a role for LPS in chlamydial infectivity. Elucidation of how LPS acts in infectivity and identification of host-cell receptors would help in understanding pathogenicity. Abbreviations: EB, elementary body; GAG, glycosaminoglycan; Kdo, 3-deoxy- D -manno-octulosonic acid; PmB, polymyxin B; TC, tissue culture.