Toll-like receptor 2 activation by Chlamydia trachomatis is plasmid dependent, and plasmid-responsive chromosomal loci are coordinately regulated in response to glucose limitation by C. trachomatis but not by C. muridarum

Infect Immun. 2011 Mar;79(3):1044-56. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01118-10. Epub 2011 Jan 3.

Abstract

We previously demonstrated that plasmid-deficient Chlamydia muridarum retains the ability to infect the murine genital tract but does not elicit oviduct pathology because it fails to activate Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). We derived a plasmid-cured derivative of the human genital isolate Chlamydia trachomatis D/UW-3/Cx, strain CTD153, which also fails to activate TLR2, indicating this virulence phenotype is associated with plasmid loss in both C. trachomatis and C. muridarum. As observed with plasmid-deficient C. muridarum, CTD153 displayed impaired accumulation of glycogen within inclusions. Transcriptional profiling of the plasmid-deficient strains by using custom microarrays identified a conserved group of chromosomal loci, the expression of which was similarly controlled in plasmid-deficient C. muridarum strains CM972 and CM3.1 and plasmid-deficient C. trachomatis CTD153. However, although expression of glycogen synthase, encoded by glgA, was greatly reduced in CTD153, it was unaltered in plasmid-deficient C. muridarum strains. Thus, additional plasmid-associated factors are required for glycogen accumulation by this chlamydial species. Furthermore, in C. trachomatis, glgA and other plasmid-responsive chromosomal loci (PRCLs) were transcriptionally responsive to glucose limitation, indicating that additional regulatory elements may be involved in the coordinated expression of these candidate virulence effectors. Glucose-limited C. trachomatis displayed reduced TLR2 stimulation in an in vitro assay. During human chlamydial infection, glucose limitation may decrease chlamydial virulence through its effects on plasmid-responsive chromosomal genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Chlamydia Infections / genetics*
  • Chlamydia Infections / metabolism
  • Chlamydia muridarum / genetics*
  • Chlamydia muridarum / metabolism
  • Chlamydia muridarum / pathogenicity
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / genetics*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / metabolism
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / pathogenicity
  • Chromosomes, Bacterial / genetics
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Genetic Loci
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Glycogen / metabolism
  • Glycogen Synthase / biosynthesis
  • Glycogen Synthase / genetics
  • Humans
  • Inclusion Bodies / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Plasmids / genetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2 / metabolism*
  • Virulence / genetics

Substances

  • Tlr2 protein, mouse
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2
  • Glycogen
  • Glycogen Synthase
  • Glucose