Watson M W, Lambden P R, Clarke I N
Department of Microbiology, University of Southampton Medical School, Southampton General Hospital, United Kingdom.
J Clin Microbiol. 1991 Jun;29(6):1188-93. doi: 10.1128/jcm.29.6.1188-1193.1991.
The 60-kDa cysteine-rich outer membrane protein genes of Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Chlamydia trachomatis have very different 5' ends, but two areas flanking this variable region show absolute sequence conservation. This observation permitted differentiation of the three species of Chlamydia by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), forming the basis of a diagnostic test for chlamydial infections. The PCR product containing the variable region of the respective 60-kDa CrP genes was also subjected to restriction endonuclease digestion, enabling differentiation of individual type strains of C. psittaci. Differentiation was possible between lymphogranuloma venereum and trachoma isolates of C. trachomatis. The PCR-based diagnostic test was successful with all strains of chlamydiae studied. The PCR primers showed high specificity and did not produce any product with common bacterial pathogens that may share the same sites of infection.
鹦鹉热衣原体、肺炎衣原体和沙眼衣原体的60 kDa富含半胱氨酸的外膜蛋白基因具有非常不同的5'端，但该可变区两侧的两个区域显示出绝对的序列保守性。这一观察结果使得通过聚合酶链反应（PCR）区分这三种衣原体成为可能，构成了衣原体感染诊断测试的基础。含有各自60 kDa CrP基因可变区的PCR产物也进行了限制性内切酶消化，从而能够区分鹦鹉热衣原体的各个型菌株。在沙眼衣原体的性病性淋巴肉芽肿和沙眼分离株之间也能够进行区分。基于PCR的诊断测试对所研究的所有衣原体菌株均成功。PCR引物显示出高特异性，并且不会与可能共享相同感染部位的常见细菌病原体产生任何产物。
