Fatty acid profiles of Chlamydia using capillary gas chromatography

Fatty acid profiles of purified elementary bodies of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) serotypes D, G and L3 were investigated by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) utilizing three fused silica capillary columns of different polarities. CT serotype C and C. psittaci (CP) strain DD34 were investigated using one column only due to the lack of adequate quantities of purified material. Significantly similar fatty acid profiles were observed in the serotypes examined. However, based on the percentage ratio of 13-methyl tetradecanoate (i-15:0) to 12-methyl tetradecanoate (a-15:0), serotypes D and L3, with ratios of 0.18 and 0.19, respectively, could be differentiated from serotypes C and G with ratios of 1.3 and 1.5, respectively. CP demonstrated a ratio of 0.4, thus differentiating it from the CT serotypes examined. Fatty acids i-15:0 and a-15:0 were absent in uninfected McCoy cells. Results were significantly comparable in all three capillary columns. This study suggests that GLC could be used for identification and differentiation of Chlamydia serotypes.