Illuminating the Evolutionary History of Chlamydiae

Author(s)
Matthias Horn, Astrid Horn, Stephan Schmitz-Esser, Cora L. Beier, Ulrike Purkhold, Berthold Fartmann, Petra Brandt, Gerald Nyakatura, Marcus Droege, Dmitrij I. Frishman, Thomas Rattei, Hans Werner Mewes, Michael Wagner
Abstract

Chlamydiae are the major cause of preventable blindness and sexually transmitted disease. Genome analysis of a chlamydia-related symbiont of free-living amoebae revealed that it is twice as large as any of the pathogenic chlamydiae and had few signs of recent lateral gene acquisition. We showed that about 700 million years ago the last common ancestor of pathogenic and symbiotic chlamydiae was already adapted to intracellular survival in early eukaryotes and contained many virulence factors found in modern pathogenic chlamydiae, including a type III secretion system. Ancient chlamydiae appear to be the originators of mechanisms for the exploitation of eukaryotic cells.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
Technische Universität München, MWG Biotech AG, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Journal
Science
Volume
304
Pages
728-730
No. of pages
3
ISSN
0036-8075
Publication date
2004
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
1060 Biology
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/9db98d39-6de5-4243-922b-1699e45fac35