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The Swedish new variant of chlamydia trachomatis: genome sequence, morphology, cell tropism and phenotypic characterization

The Swedish new variant of chlamydia trachomatis: genome sequence, morphology, cell tropism and phenotypic characterization
The Swedish new variant of chlamydia trachomatis: genome sequence, morphology, cell tropism and phenotypic characterization
Chlamydia trachomatis is a major cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. In 2006, a new variant of C. trachomatis (nvCT), carrying a 377 bp deletion within the plasmid, was reported in Sweden. This deletion included the targets used by the commercial diagnostic systems from Roche and Abbott. The nvCT is clonal (serovar/genovar E) and it spread rapidly in Sweden, undiagnosed by these systems. The degree of spread may also indicate an increased biological fitness of nvCT. The aims of this study were to describe the genome of nvCT, to compare the nvCT genome to all available C. trachomatis genome sequences and to investigate the biological properties of nvCT. An early nvCT isolate (Sweden2) was analysed by genome sequencing, growth kinetics, microscopy, cell tropism assay and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. It was compared with relevant C. trachomatis isolates, including a similar serovar E C. trachomatis wild-type strain that circulated in Sweden prior to the initially undetected expansion of nvCT. The nvCT genome does not contain any major genetic polymorphisms - the genes for central metabolism, development cycle and virulence are conserved - or phenotypic characteristics that indicate any altered biological fitness. This is supported by the observations that the nvCT and wild-type C. trachomatis infections are very similar in terms of epidemiological distribution, and that differences in clinical signs are only described, in one study, in women. In conclusion, the nvCT does not appear to have any altered biological fitness. Therefore, the rapid transmission of nvCT in Sweden was due to the strong diagnostic selective advantage and its introduction into a high-frequency transmitting population.
1350-0872
1394-404
Unemo, Magnus
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Seth-Smith, Helena M.B.
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Cutcliffe, Lesley T.
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Skilton, Rachel J.
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Barlow, David
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Goulding, David
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Persson, Kenneth
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Harris, Simon
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Kelly, Anne
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Bjartling, Carina
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Fredlund, Hans
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Olcén, Per
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Thomson, N icholas R.
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Clarke, Ian N.
ff6c9324-3547-4039-bb2c-10c0b3327a8b
Unemo, Magnus
e3c042f0-3e00-4561-885f-7c79cd6d912f
Seth-Smith, Helena M.B.
8395d2a5-4c57-45c3-bed3-5e6ee4bcdd5f
Cutcliffe, Lesley T.
88f242f4-b4f7-46d4-a1dd-c187dd60a773
Skilton, Rachel J.
b02d4f32-609c-4074-b616-ec819b018dbe
Barlow, David
604bd0b9-bc34-49d8-9f29-e2637adbd922
Goulding, David
28034c39-938a-4c1b-9a8c-7aa807ff1a0d
Persson, Kenneth
9ecaea9f-c093-4d57-8bf3-99373ab580c7
Harris, Simon
082a78f8-ba16-4928-ba92-a75279259825
Kelly, Anne
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Bjartling, Carina
b8c0bfea-b7dc-4605-a865-0f1f4d40685b
Fredlund, Hans
f0d2ea47-7435-415d-8429-ebc8cff67ed6
Olcén, Per
bb9209c5-5bce-4c15-8993-5d2d83c67255
Thomson, N icholas R.
65e3ac6f-2451-4ff1-be38-4fa17473ccaa
Clarke, Ian N.
ff6c9324-3547-4039-bb2c-10c0b3327a8b

Unemo, Magnus, Seth-Smith, Helena M.B., Cutcliffe, Lesley T., Skilton, Rachel J., Barlow, David, Goulding, David, Persson, Kenneth, Harris, Simon, Kelly, Anne, Bjartling, Carina, Fredlund, Hans, Olcén, Per, Thomson, N icholas R. and Clarke, Ian N. (2010) The Swedish new variant of chlamydia trachomatis: genome sequence, morphology, cell tropism and phenotypic characterization. Microbiology, 156 (5), 1394-404. (doi:10.1099/mic.0.036830-0). (PMID:20093289)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Chlamydia trachomatis is a major cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. In 2006, a new variant of C. trachomatis (nvCT), carrying a 377 bp deletion within the plasmid, was reported in Sweden. This deletion included the targets used by the commercial diagnostic systems from Roche and Abbott. The nvCT is clonal (serovar/genovar E) and it spread rapidly in Sweden, undiagnosed by these systems. The degree of spread may also indicate an increased biological fitness of nvCT. The aims of this study were to describe the genome of nvCT, to compare the nvCT genome to all available C. trachomatis genome sequences and to investigate the biological properties of nvCT. An early nvCT isolate (Sweden2) was analysed by genome sequencing, growth kinetics, microscopy, cell tropism assay and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. It was compared with relevant C. trachomatis isolates, including a similar serovar E C. trachomatis wild-type strain that circulated in Sweden prior to the initially undetected expansion of nvCT. The nvCT genome does not contain any major genetic polymorphisms - the genes for central metabolism, development cycle and virulence are conserved - or phenotypic characteristics that indicate any altered biological fitness. This is supported by the observations that the nvCT and wild-type C. trachomatis infections are very similar in terms of epidemiological distribution, and that differences in clinical signs are only described, in one study, in women. In conclusion, the nvCT does not appear to have any altered biological fitness. Therefore, the rapid transmission of nvCT in Sweden was due to the strong diagnostic selective advantage and its introduction into a high-frequency transmitting population.

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Published date: May 2010

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Local EPrints ID: 190873
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/190873
ISSN: 1350-0872
PURE UUID: 496aa77c-7d96-43cc-8330-a54dfdca86b2
ORCID for Ian N. Clarke: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4938-1620

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Date deposited: 16 Jun 2011 08:49
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:33

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Contributors

Author: Magnus Unemo
Author: Helena M.B. Seth-Smith
Author: Lesley T. Cutcliffe
Author: Rachel J. Skilton
Author: David Barlow
Author: David Goulding
Author: Kenneth Persson
Author: Simon Harris
Author: Anne Kelly
Author: Carina Bjartling
Author: Hans Fredlund
Author: Per Olcén
Author: N icholas R. Thomson
Author: Ian N. Clarke ORCID iD

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