The chlamydia-secreted protease CPAF promotes chlamydial survival in the mouse lower genital tract

Zhangsheng Yang, Lingli Tang, Lili Shao, Yuyang Zhang, Tianyuan Zhang, Robert Schenken, Raphael Valdivia, Guangming Zhonga

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite the extensive in vitro characterization of CPAF (chlamydial protease/proteasome-like activity factor), its role in chlamydial infection and pathogenesis remains unclear. We now report that a Chlamydia trachomatis strain deficient in expression of CPAF (L2-17) is no longer able to establish a successful infection in the mouse lower genital tract following an intravaginal inoculation. The L2-17 organisms were cleared from the mouse lower genital tract within a few days, while a CPAF-sufficient C. trachomatis strain (L2-5) survived in the lower genital tract for more than 3 weeks. However, both the L2-17 and L2-5 organisms maintained robust infection courses that lasted up to 4 weeks when they were directly delivered into the mouse upper genital tract. The CPAF-dependent chlamydial survival in the lower genital tract was confirmed in multiple strains of mice. Thus, we have demonstrated a critical role of CPAF in promoting C. trachomatis survival in the mouse lower genital tracts. It will be interesting to further investigate the mechanisms of the CPAF-dependent chlamydial pathogenicity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2697-2702
Number of pages6
JournalInfection and immunity
Volume84
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

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