Inclusion proteins of Chlamydiaceae.

Chlamydiaceae are obligate intracellular pathogens with family members among the etiological agents of several human diseases, such as blinding trachoma, sexually transmitted disease (Chlamydia trachomatis) and pneumonia (Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci). The bacteria replicate intracellularly in a membrane-bound vacuole termed inclusion. The chlamydial inclusion is effectively separated from eukaryotic endocytic pathways. More than two decades ago it was already speculated that Chlamydiae might modify the inclusion membrane through the insertion of chlamydial-derived components. However, because the classical genetic approaches cannot be applied to manipulate these bacteria, it took more than 10 years before definitive proof was obtained that Chlamydiae indeed actively modify the inclusion membrane by the insertion of proteins of chlamydial origin, first observed by Rockey et al. in 1995. This review will focus on the structural and functional aspects of inclusion proteins of Chlamydiaceae, thereby summarizing data obtained by in vitro studies and comparative genomics.