Chlamydia trachomatis polymorphic membrane protein D is an oligomeric autotransporter with a higher-order structure

Infect Immun. 2009 Jan;77(1):508-16. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01173-08. Epub 2008 Nov 10.

Abstract

Chlamydia trachomatis is a globally important obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that is a leading cause of sexually transmitted disease and blinding trachoma. Effective control of these diseases will likely require a preventative vaccine. C. trachomatis polymorphic membrane protein D (PmpD) is an attractive vaccine candidate as it is conserved among C. trachomatis strains and is a target of broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. We show here that immunoaffinity-purified native PmpD exists as an oligomer with a distinct 23-nm flower-like structure. Two-dimensional blue native-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses showed that the oligomers were composed of full-length PmpD (p155) and two proteolytically processed fragments, the p73 passenger domain (PD) and the p82 translocator domain. We also show that PmpD undergoes an infection-dependent proteolytic processing step late in the growth cycle that yields a soluble extended PD (p111) that was processed into a p73 PD and a novel p30 fragment. Interestingly, soluble PmpD peptides possess putative eukaryote-interacting functional motifs, implying potential secondary functions within or distal to infected cells. Collectively, our findings show that PmpD exists as two distinct forms, a surface-associated oligomer exhibiting a higher-order flower-like structure and a soluble form restricted to infected cells. We hypothesize that PmpD is a multifunctional virulence factor important in chlamydial pathogenesis and could represent novel vaccine or drug targets for the control of human chlamydial infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / ultrastructure
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / chemistry*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / metabolism*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / methods
  • Epithelial Cells / chemistry
  • Epithelial Cells / microbiology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Peptide Hydrolases / chemistry
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Protein Multimerization*

Substances

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • polymorphic membrane protein 21, Chlamydophila pneumoniae
  • Peptide Hydrolases