Genome and proteome analysis of Chlamydia

It has been difficult to study the molecular biology of the obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia due to lack of genetic transformation systems. Therefore, genome sequencing has greatly expanded the information concerning the biology of these pathogens. Comparing the genomes of seven sequenced Chlamydia genomes has provided information of the common gene content and gene variation. In addition, the genome sequences have enabled global investigation of both transcript and protein content during the developmental cycle of chlamydiae. During this cycle Chlamydia alternates between an infectious extracellular form and an intracellular dividing form surrounded by a phagosome membrane termed the chlamydial inclusion. Proteins secreted from the chlamydial inclusion into the host cell may interact with host cell proteins and modify the host cell's response to infection. However, identification of such proteins has been difficult because the host cell cytoplasm of Chlamydia infected cells cannot be purified. This problem has been circumvented by comparative proteomics.