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Live-Cell Forward Genetic Approach to Identify and Isolate Developmental Mutants in Chlamydia trachomatis
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Pathogenic Chlamydia Lack a Classical Sacculus but Synthesize a Narrow, Mid-cell Peptidoglycan Ring, Regulated by

George Liechti1, Erkin Kuru2, Mathanraj Packiam1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.

Plos Pathogens
|May 5, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Pathogenic Chlamydia species possess a peptidoglycan ring essential for division. This structure, linked to MreB, is transient and limited to the division plane, aiding intracellular survival.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Peptidoglycan (PG) is crucial for bacterial structure and division.
  • Chlamydiales were previously thought to lack PG, but recent studies confirmed its presence in Chlamydia trachomatis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and characteristics of the peptidoglycan cell wall in pathogenic Chlamydiae species.
  • To understand the role of PG and MreB in the developmental cycle and intracellular lifestyle of Chlamydia.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized bio-orthogonal D-amino acid dipeptide probes for PG labeling.
  • Employed super-resolution microscopy to visualize PG structures.
  • Conducted kinetic, molecular, and biochemical analyses.

Main Results:

  • Four pathogenic Chlamydiae species possess a narrow (≤ 140 nm) PG ring at the division plane during replication.
  • PG ring assembly is rapid, processive, and associated with the MreB protein.
  • MreB polymerization and PG biosynthesis are restricted to the intracellular form and are vital for cell division and development.

Conclusions:

  • The limited, transient PG ring in Chlamydia is a result of adaptation to an intracellular niche.
  • This specialized PG structure is essential for Chlamydia's survival, division, and developmental transitions within host cells.

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