C. trachomatis is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the US. In 2008, 1,210,523 chlamydial infections were reported to CDC (www.cdc.gov/std/stats08/trends.htm). If untreated, 10% of C. trachomatis-infected women may develop complications such as pelvic inflammatory diseases, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. The annual cost of treating C. trachomatis complications in women is >$2 billion. Due to lack of obvious symptoms after an acute infection, most infected individuals don't seek treatment, thus permitting the development of complications. One solution to this challenge is rapid diagnostics so that antibiotics can be taken to reduce complications. The current diagnosis of chlamydial infection requires specialized labs and takes days for health care providers or patients to obtain results. A second (or long- term) solution is vaccination so that exposure to C. trachomatis no longer causes complications. The failure of Chlamydia organism-based vaccines more than 50 years ago and immunological studies in the past 50 years have led to the conclusion that a subunit vaccine is both necessary and feasible for preventing Chlamydia diseases. Yet, no licensed C. trachomatis vaccine is available. The first identified C. trachomatis-secreted protein (CtSP), known as CPAF [chlamydial protease/proteasome-like activity factor], is a unique serine protease that selectively targets host proteins for evading host defense. Our success in identifying and characterizing CPAF has not only significantly advanced our knowledge on chlamydial pathogenesis but also provided important information for improving chlamydial diagnosis, treatment and prevention of chlamydial infection, which has encouraged us to further identify and characterize additional C. trachomatis-secreted proteins (CtSPs) as proposed in the current grant so that novel molecular mechanisms of chlamydial pathogenesis can be learnt and new knowledge can be obtained to further improve medicine. The three specific aims proposed in the current grant are:
Aim I to identify C. trachomatis-secreted proteins (CtSPs) during intracellular infection using a genome-wide antibody localization of endogenous proteins approach;
Aim II to characterize 4 sec-CtSPs (CPAF, cHtrA, CT311 & CT795) by mapping their secretion pathways and Aim III to further explore the functions and applications of 2 Sec-CtSPs (CPAF & cHtrA).

Public Health Relevance

To invade and replicate in human cells, C. trachomatis must secrete proteins into human cell cytosol, which significantly contributes to pathologies in human tissues. Thus, identification and characterization of C. trachomatis-secreted proteins (CtSPs) should provide information for both understanding chlamydial pathogenesis and improving diagnosis, treatment and prevention of chlamydial infection. Our preliminary data has shown that CPAF can be targeted for developing rapid diagnosis of chlamydial infection and can also serve as a subunit vaccine antigen.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
4R01AI047997-15
Application #
8963412
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Hiltke, Thomas J
Project Start
2000-07-15
Project End
2017-11-30
Budget Start
2015-12-01
Budget End
2017-11-30
Support Year
15
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Health Science Center
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800772162
City
San Antonio
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
78229
Hou, Shuping; Sun, Xin; Dong, Xiaohua et al. (2018) Chlamydial plasmid-encoded virulence factor Pgp3 interacts with human cathelicidin peptide LL-37 to modulate immune response. Microbes Infect :
Zhong, Guangming (2018) Chlamydia Spreading from the Genital Tract to the Gastrointestinal Tract - A Two-Hit Hypothesis. Trends Microbiol 26:611-623
Zhong, Guangming (2017) Chlamydial Plasmid-Dependent Pathogenicity. Trends Microbiol 25:141-152
Yang, Zhangsheng; Tang, Lingli; Shao, Lili et al. (2016) The Chlamydia-Secreted Protease CPAF Promotes Chlamydial Survival in the Mouse Lower Genital Tract. Infect Immun 84:2697-702
Lam, Tonika; Kulp, Dennis V; Wang, Rui et al. (2016) Small Molecule Inhibition of Rab7 Impairs B Cell Class Switching and Plasma Cell Survival To Dampen the Autoantibody Response in Murine Lupus. J Immunol 197:3792-3805
Conrad, Turner Allen; Gong, Siqi; Yang, Zhangsheng et al. (2016) The Chromosome-Encoded Hypothetical Protein TC0668 Is an Upper Genital Tract Pathogenicity Factor of Chlamydia muridarum. Infect Immun 84:467-79
Dai, Jin; Tang, Lingli; Chen, Jianlin et al. (2016) The p47phox deficiency significantly attenuates the pathogenicity of Chlamydia muridarum in the mouse oviduct but not uterine tissues. Microbes Infect 18:190-8
Dai, Jin; Zhang, Tianyuan; Wang, Luying et al. (2016) Intravenous Inoculation with Chlamydia muridarum Leads to a Long-Lasting Infection Restricted to the Gastrointestinal Tract. Infect Immun 84:2382-2388
Tang, Lingli; Chen, Jianlin; Zhou, Zhiguang et al. (2015) Chlamydia-secreted protease CPAF degrades host antimicrobial peptides. Microbes Infect 17:402-8
Sun, Xin; Yang, Zhangsheng; Zhang, Hongbo et al. (2015) Chlamydia muridarum induction of glandular duct dilation in mice. Infect Immun 83:2327-37

Showing the most recent 10 out of 51 publications