| remarkable sequence relatedness in the dna encoding the major outer membrane protein of chlamydia psittaci (koala type i) and chlamydia pneumoniae. | dna encoding the major outer membrane protein (momp) of the koala type-i strain of chlamydia psittaci (pathogen responsible for blindness and infertility in koalas) was cloned and sequenced. comparison with momp gene sequences from other chlamydial species revealed a remarkable degree of homology (> 97%) with that of the human pathogen, chlamydia pneumoniae. in comparison, the sequence only shared 75% dna sequence homology with other c. psittaci members and 69% homology with c. trachomatis. the ... | 1994 | 8125292 |
| evidence for chlamydia pneumoniae of non-human origin. | this paper describes the characterization and taxonomic status of n16, a chlamydial isolate from the respiratory tract of a horse. n16 contains plasmid dna, has normal elementary body morphology and its inclusions do not stain with iodine. its major outer-membrane protein (momp) gene was completely sequenced and compared with the momp genes of chlamydia pneumoniae, c. psittaci, c. trachomatis and c. pecorum. this analysis revealed that n16 is closely related to the twar strain of c. pneumoniae ( ... | 1993 | 8277245 |
| structures of and allelic diversity and relationships among the major outer membrane protein (ompa) genes of the four chlamydial species. | dna sequences coding for 81% of the ompa gene from 24 chlamydial strains, representing all chlamydial species, were determined from dna amplified by polymerase chain reactions. chlamydial strains of serovars and strains with similar chromosomal restriction fragment length polymorphism had identical ompa dna sequences. the ompa sequences were segregated into 23 different ompa alleles and aligned with each other, and phylogenetic relationships among them were inferred by neighbor-joining and maxim ... | 1993 | 8419295 |
| phylogenetic analysis of the genus chlamydia based on 16s rrna gene sequences. | the phylogenetic relationships among chlamydia spp. were investigated by comparing 16s rrna gene sequences. in this analysis we used 14 strains of chlamydia psittaci, including seven feline isolates, two avian isolates, two human isolates, one bovine isolates, one ovine isolate, and one koala isolate; and nine strains of chlamydia trachomatis, including six human isolates, two swine isolates, and one mouse isolate. a phylogenetic analysis of the 16s rrna gene sequences of these organisms and sev ... | 1997 | 9103632 |
| characterization of the koala biovar of chlamydia pneumoniae at four gene loci--ompavd4, ompb, 16s rrna, groesl spacer region. | koalas are infected with two species of chlamydia, c. pecorum and c. pneumoniae. while it is known that significant genetic diversity occurs in the c. pecorum strains infecting koalas, very little is known about the c. pneumoniae strains that infect this host. in the current study, 10 isolates of koala c. pneumoniae were analysed at four gene loci and found to be different to both the human and horse c. pneumoniae strains at all loci (biovar differences ranging from 0.3% at groesl up to 9.0% at ... | 1999 | 10188275 |
| epizootiology of chlamydia infections in two free-range koala populations. | the prevalence of chlamydia pecorum and chlamydia pneumoniae infections in two free-range koala populations was assessed using genus-specific pcr combined with species-specific dna probe hybridisation. population a had a very high overall level of chlamydial infection (85%) with significantly more of these infections being due to c. pecorum (73%) compared to c. pneumoniae (24%). the second population had a much lower prevalence of infection (10%) with equal levels of both species. an important f ... | 1999 | 10223324 |
| chlamydia pneumoniae in a free-ranging giant barred frog (mixophyes iteratus) from australia. | the koala biovar of chlamydia pneumoniae was identified in lung tissue from a sick, free-ranging giant barred frog (mixophyes iteratus) by using electron microscopy, c. pneumoniae-specific fluorescent-antibody staining, cell culture, and sequencing of the ompa, ompb and 16s rrna genes. this is the first report of a chlamydial strain infecting both a homeotherm and a poikilotherm and only the fourth host (in addition to humans, koalas, and horses) to be naturally infected with this species of chl ... | 1999 | 10364623 |
| detection of chlamydia pneumoniae dna and antigen in the circulating mononuclear cell fractions of humans and koalas. | chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen of humans which, in addition to causing disease at the respiratory site, has recently been linked to disease at other body sites. if c. pneumoniae does contribute to disease at nonrespiratory sites, then it must have a mechanism by which it reaches these sites. we analyzed the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (pbmc) fractions from 60 healthy human blood donors for the presence of c. pneumoniae dna (by ompa pcr) and chlamydial antigens (by ge ... | 2000 | 10768968 |
| genetic characterization of a chlamydophila pneumoniae isolate from an african frog and comparison to currently accepted biovars. | the amphibian isolate de177 identified as chlamydophila (c.) pneumoniae was sequenced in five genomic regions: 16s ribosomal rna gene, 16-23s intergenic spacer, ompa, ompb, and groesl genes. comparison with corresponding sequences of the currently accepted equine, human and koala biovars of c. pneumoniae revealed that koala strains represented the most closely related taxon, although sequence dissimilarities in the ompa (vd4) and ompb gene regions were noted. in this respect, the present isolate ... | 2001 | 11403400 |
| koala biovar of chlamydia pneumoniae infects human and koala monocytes and induces increased uptake of lipids in vitro. | we examined the ability of the koala biovar of chlamydia pneumoniae to infect both hep-2 cells and human monocytes and the effect of infection on the formation of foam cells. the koala biovar produced large inclusions in both human and koala monocytes and in hep-2 cells. koala c. pneumoniae induced foam cell formation with and without added low-density lipoprotein, in contrast to tw183, which produced increased foam cell formation only in the presence of low-density lipoprotein. | 2001 | 11705973 |
| molecular evidence to support the expansion of the hostrange of chlamydophila pneumoniae to include reptiles as well as humans, horses, koalas and amphibians. | the chlamydiales are a family of unique intracellular pathogens that cause significant disease in humans, birds and a wide range of animal hosts. of the currently recognized species, chlamydophila (previously chlamydia) pneumoniae, unlike the other chlamydial species, has been previously considered to be solely a pathogen of humans, causing significant respiratory disease and has also been strongly connected with cardiovascular disease. here we report the finding that strains of c. pneumoniae ar ... | 2002 | 12086181 |
| molecular evidence for novel chlamydial infections in the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). | chlamydia-related disease has a detrimental effect on australia's free-range koala (phascolarctos cinereus) populations. the chlamydial species responsible for ocular, urogenital and respiratory disease in the koala have previously been identified as chlamydophila pecorum and chlamydophila pneumoniae. epizootiology studies have therefore used species specific pcr assays to detect chlamydial infections. in the current study, we used a broad range pcr amplification and cloning strategy to identify ... | 2003 | 12866851 |
| association of uterine and salpingeal fibrosis with chlamydial hsp60 and hsp10 antigen-specific antibodies in chlamydia-infected koalas. | infection by chlamydia pneumoniae or chlamydia pecorum commonly causes chronic, fibrotic disease of the urogenital tracts of female koalas. studies of humans have associated titers of serum immunoglobulin g (igg) against chlamydial hsp60 and hsp10 antigens with chronic infection, salpingeal fibrosis, and tubal infertility. to determine whether a similar relationship exists in chlamydia-infected koalas, samples were collected opportunistically from 34 wild female koalas and examined by gross path ... | 2005 | 15879024 |
| multiple genotypes of chlamydia pneumoniae identified in human carotid plaque. | chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular respiratory pathogen that causes 10 % of community-acquired pneumonia and has been associated with cardiovascular disease. both whole-genome sequencing and specific gene typing suggest that there is relatively little genetic variation in human isolates of c. pneumoniae. to date, there has been little genomic analysis of strains from human cardiovascular sites. the genotypes of c. pneumoniae present in human atherosclerotic carotid plaque were ana ... | 2005 | 16000718 |
| immuno-histochemical demonstration of the role of chlamydiaceae in renal, uterine and salpingeal disease of the koala, and demonstration of chlamydiaceae in novel sites. | numerous bacteria, including chlamydophila pecorum and chlamydophila pneumoniae, are known to occur in diseased sites in koalas. in the present study the significance of such organisms was investigated by demonstrating their distribution in situ, in tissues collected opportunistically from wild koalas. chlamydiaceae were demonstrated in epithelial cells and macrophages in association with pyogranulomatous pyelonephritis (8/11 kidneys), focal interstitial nephritis (3/21), and active inflammation ... | 2005 | 16045922 |
| isolation and antimicrobial susceptibilities of chlamydial isolates from western barred bandicoots. | a range of species of chlamydiales have previously been detected in a variety of australian marsupials, including koalas and western barred bandicoots. thirty-seven ocular, urogenital, or nasal swabs were obtained from 21 wild western barred bandicoots. chlamydia culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed for cycloheximide-treated hep-2 cells in 96-well microtiter plates. chlamydia spp. were isolated from 11 specimens from 9 (42.8%) bandicoots. all isolates were identified as c ... | 2007 | 17122017 |
| molecular characterization of chlamydophila pneumoniae isolates from western barred bandicoots. | chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular respiratory pathogen that has been associated with pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, atherosclerosis, asthma and other chronic diseases in humans. however, c. pneumoniae is not restricted to humans, as originally thought, and can cause infections in several animal hosts. c. pneumoniae was isolated in cell culture from nine western barred bandicoots (perameles bougainville) from australia. the sequences of five genomic regions were determined, ... | 2007 | 17314374 |
| in vitro characterisation of koala chlamydia pneumoniae: morphology, inclusion development and doubling time. | chlamydia pneumoniae is a common human and animal pathogen associated with upper and lower respiratory tract infections. of the animal c. pneumoniae isolates, the koala nasal isolate (lpcoln) is by far the best genetically characterised. this current study was designed to characterise the morphology and developmental events for the lpcoln isolate, and our results showed several striking in vitro growth differences when compared to the human isolate, ar39. the lpcoln inclusion size and morphology ... | 2009 | 19026498 |
| evidence that human chlamydia pneumoniae was zoonotically acquired. | zoonotic infections are a growing threat to global health. chlamydia pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that is widespread in human populations, causing acute respiratory disease, and has been associated with chronic disease. c. pneumoniae was first identified solely in human populations; however, its host range now includes other mammals, marsupials, amphibians, and reptiles. australian koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) are widely infected with two species of chlamydia, c. pecorum and c. pneumo ... | 2009 | 19749045 |
| comparison of koala lpcoln and human strains of chlamydia pneumoniae highlights extended genetic diversity in the species. | chlamydia pneumoniae is a widespread pathogen causing upper and lower respiratory tract infections in addition to a range of other diseases in humans and animals. previous whole genome analyses have focused on four essentially clonal (> 99% identity) c. pneumoniae human genomes (ar39, cwl029, j138 and tw183), providing relatively little insight into strain diversity and evolution of this species. | 2010 | 20646324 |
| chlamydial infections in wildlife-conservation threats and/or reservoirs of 'spill-over' infections? | members of the order chlamydiales are biphasic intracellular pathogens known to cause disease in both humans and animals. as we learn more about the genetic diversity of this group of pathogens, evidence is growing that these bacteria infect a broader range of animal hosts than previously thought. over 400 host species are now documented globally with the majority of these being wild animals. given the impact of chlamydial infections on humans and domesticated animals, the identification of memb ... | 2016 | 27939160 |
| orchitis and epididymitis in koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) infected with chlamydia pecorum. | although chlamydia causes disease of the urethra and prostate of male koalas, its impact on the testis and epididymis has not been examined. this study describes chronic-active and granulomatous orchitis and epididymitis with interstitial fibrosis associated with infection by chlamydia pecorum in 2 of 18 adult male koalas being euthanized at a koala hospital, 8 of which also had chlamydial prostatitis. by immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy, chlamydial inclusions were demon ... | 2015 | 25637084 |
| the prevalence and clinical significance of chlamydia infection in island and mainland populations of victorian koalas (phascolarctos cinereus). | chlamydia infection is known to impact the health of koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) in new south wales (nsw) and queensland, but the clinical significance of chlamydia infections in victorian koalas is not well described. we examined the prevalence of chlamydia infection and assessed associated health parameters in two victorian koala populations known to be chlamydia positive. the same testing regimen was applied to a third victorian population in which chlamydia had not been detected. we exam ... | 2015 | 25588005 |
| expression profiles of the immune genes cd4, cd8β, ifnγ, il-4, il-6 and il-10 in mitogen-stimulated koala lymphocytes (phascolarctos cinereus) by qrt-pcr. | investigation of the immune response of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) is needed urgently, but has been limited by scarcity of species-specific reagents and methods for this unique and divergent marsupial. infectious disease is an important threat to wild populations of koalas; the most widespread and important of these is chlamydial disease, caused by chlamydia pecorum and chlamydia pneumoniae. in addition, koala retrovirus (korv), which is of 100% prevalence in northern australia, has been ... | 2014 | 24688858 |
| recent advances in understanding the biology, epidemiology and control of chlamydial infections in koalas. | the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) is recognised as a threatened wildlife species in various parts of australia. a major contributing factor to the decline and long-term viability of affected populations is disease caused by the obligate intracellular bacteria, chlamydia. two chlamydial species infect the koala, chlamydia pecorum and chlamydia pneumoniae, and have been reported in nearly all mainland koala populations. chlamydial infections of koalas are associated with ocular infections leading ... | 2013 | 23523170 |
| human chlamydia pneumoniae isolates demonstrate ability to recover infectivity following penicillin treatment whereas animal isolates do not. | chlamydia pneumoniae strains have recently been demonstrated to have substantially different capacities to enter and recover from ifn-γ-induced persistence, depending on whether they are from human or animal host sources. here, we examined the ability of two human and two animal strains to enter and be rescued from penicillin-induced persistence. the ability to form inclusions after the addition of penicillin was much reduced in the two animal isolates (koala lpcoln, bandicoot b21) compared to t ... | 2015 | 25663156 |
| evidence for horizontal gene transfer between chlamydophila pneumoniae and chlamydia phage. | chlamydia-infecting bacteriophages, members of the microviridae family, specifically the gokushovirinae subfamily, are small (4.5-5 kb) single-stranded circles with 8-10 open-reading frames similar to e. coli phage ϕx174. using sequence information found in genbank, we examined related genes in chlamydophila pneumoniae and chlamydia-infecting bacteriophages. the 5 completely sequenced c. pneumoniae strains contain a gene orthologous to a phage gene annotated as the putative replication initiatio ... | 2017 | 26713222 |