Bastidas Robert J, Valdivia Raphael H
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and Center for the Genomics of Microbial Systems, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and Center for the Genomics of Microbial Systems, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2016 Mar 30;80(2):411-27. doi: 10.1128/MMBR.00071-15. Print 2016 Jun.
Chlamydia species infect millions of individuals worldwide and are important etiological agents of sexually transmitted disease, infertility, and blinding trachoma. Historically, the genetic intractability of this intracellular pathogen has hindered the molecular dissection of virulence factors contributing to its pathogenesis. The obligate intracellular life cycle of Chlamydia and restrictions on the use of antibiotics as selectable markers have impeded the development of molecular tools to genetically manipulate these pathogens. However, recent developments in the field have resulted in significant gains in our ability to alter the genome of Chlamydia, which will expedite the elucidation of virulence mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the challenges affecting the development of molecular genetic tools for Chlamydia and the work that laid the foundation for recent advancements in the genetic analysis of this recalcitrant pathogen.
衣原体在全球感染了数百万人，是性传播疾病、不孕症和致盲性沙眼的重要病原体。从历史上看，这种细胞内病原体的基因难操作性阻碍了对其致病机制中致病因子的分子剖析。衣原体专性细胞内生命周期以及抗生素作为选择标记使用的限制，阻碍了对这些病原体进行基因操作的分子工具的开发。然而，该领域最近的进展使我们改变衣原体基因组的能力有了显著提高，这将加速对致病机制的阐明。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了影响衣原体分子遗传工具开发的挑战，以及为这种顽固病原体的遗传分析最近取得的进展奠定基础的工作。
