Deep and Wide: Comparative Genomics of <i>Chlamydia</i>

Myers, Garry S. A.; Crabtree, Jonathan; Creasy, Heather Huot

doi:10.1128/9781555817329.ch2

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…All members of the Chlamydiaceae show highly similar genomes in terms of gene content and synteny ( Myers et al 2012 ); however, between chlamydial families, rearrangements have played a major role in genome evolution ( Collingro et al 2011 ). Whole-genome alignments of members of the Parachlamydiaceae clearly illustrate that within the genera Protochlamydia , Neochlamydia , and Parachlamydia , there are few rearrangements, and the genomes are highly syntenic ( fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, it was shown that the diversity of the phylum is tremendously greater with perhaps over 200 families spanning nearly every environment ( Lagkouvardos et al 2013 ). All members of the Chlamydiae show notable genomic reductions and truncated metabolic pathways including the inability to synthesize many amino acids and nucleotides ( Stephens et al 1998 ; Kalman et al 1999 ; Horn et al 2004 ; Bertelli et al 2010 ; Collingro et al 2011 ; Myers et al 2012 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Massive Expansion of Ubiquitination-Related Gene Families within the Chlamydiae

Domman

Collingro

Lagkouvardos

et al. 2014

Molecular Biology and Evolution

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Gene loss, gain, and transfer play an important role in shaping the genomes of all organisms; however, the interplay of these processes in isolated populations, such as in obligate intracellular bacteria, is less understood. Despite a general trend towards genome reduction in these microbes, our phylogenomic analysis of the phylum Chlamydiae revealed that within the family Parachlamydiaceae, gene family expansions have had pronounced effects on gene content. We discovered that the largest gene families within the phylum are the result of rapid gene birth-and-death evolution. These large gene families are comprised of members harboring eukaryotic-like ubiquitination-related domains, such as F-box and BTB-box domains, marking the largest reservoir of these proteins found among bacteria. A heterologous type III secretion system assay suggests that these proteins function as effectors manipulating the host cell. The large disparity in copy number of members in these families between closely related organisms suggests that nonadaptive processes might contribute to the evolution of these gene families. Gene birth-and-death evolution in concert with genomic drift might represent a previously undescribed mechanism by which isolated bacterial populations diversify.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Massive Expansion of Ubiquitination-Related Gene Families within the Chlamydiae

Domman

Collingro

Lagkouvardos

et al. 2014

Molecular Biology and Evolution

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“…Approximately two-thirds of predicted proteins are shared across species, which reflects genetic conservation and the evolutionary constraints that are imposed by their intracellular lifestyle and conserved developmental cycle 1,9 . One exception is a region of high genomic diversity termed the `plasticity zone', which encodes an array of virulence factors, including cytotoxin, membrane attack complex/perforin protein (MACPF) and phospholipase D, which may have a role in host tropism and niche specificity 1,9 . Chlamydiae encode a large number of virulence effectors, which comprise ~10% of their genome 10 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chlamydia cell biology and pathogenesis

2016

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Chlamydia spp. are important causes of human disease for which no effective vaccine exists. These obligate intracellular pathogens replicate in a specialized membrane compartment and use a large arsenal of secreted effectors to survive in the hostile intracellular environment of the host. In this Review, we summarize the progress in decoding the interactions between Chlamydia spp. and their hosts that has been made possible by recent technological advances in chlamydial proteomics and genetics. The field is now poised to decipher the molecular mechanisms that underlie the intimate interactions between Chlamydia spp. and their hosts, which will open up many exciting avenues of research for these medically important pathogens.

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“…This heterogeneous region includes putative chlamydial virulence factors that may play a role in host tropism or niche specificity (7). The C. suis plasticity zone is similar to the Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia muridarum PZs in both relative size and gene organization.…”

Section: Genome Announcementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The chlamydial plasticity zone (PZ) is a region at the replication terminus of the chromosome that encapsulates much of the observed interspecies chlamydial variation ( 5 , 6 ). This heterogeneous region includes putative chlamydial virulence factors that may play a role in host tropism or niche specificity ( 7 ). The C. suis plasticity zone is similar to the Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia muridarum PZs in both relative size and gene organization.…”

Section: Genome Announcementmentioning

confidence: 99%