Yang Zhangsheng, Tang Lingli, Shao Lili, Zhang Yuyang, Zhang Tianyuan, Schenken Robert, Valdivia Raphael, Zhong Guangming
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Department of Clinic Diagnosis, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Infect Immun. 2016 Aug 19;84(9):2697-702. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00280-16. Print 2016 Sep.
Despite the extensive in vitro characterization of CPAF (chlamydial protease/proteasome-like activity factor), its role in chlamydial infection and pathogenesis remains unclear. We now report that a Chlamydia trachomatis strain deficient in expression of CPAF (L2-17) is no longer able to establish a successful infection in the mouse lower genital tract following an intravaginal inoculation. The L2-17 organisms were cleared from the mouse lower genital tract within a few days, while a CPAF-sufficient C. trachomatis strain (L2-5) survived in the lower genital tract for more than 3 weeks. However, both the L2-17 and L2-5 organisms maintained robust infection courses that lasted up to 4 weeks when they were directly delivered into the mouse upper genital tract. The CPAF-dependent chlamydial survival in the lower genital tract was confirmed in multiple strains of mice. Thus, we have demonstrated a critical role of CPAF in promoting C. trachomatis survival in the mouse lower genital tracts. It will be interesting to further investigate the mechanisms of the CPAF-dependent chlamydial pathogenicity.
尽管对沙眼衣原体蛋白酶样活性因子（CPAF）进行了广泛的体外特性研究，但其在衣原体感染和发病机制中的作用仍不清楚。我们现在报告，一株缺乏CPAF表达的沙眼衣原体菌株（L2-17）在经阴道接种后，无法在小鼠下生殖道建立成功的感染。L2-17菌株在几天内从小鼠下生殖道清除，而一株CPAF表达充足的沙眼衣原体菌株（L2-5）在下生殖道存活了3周以上。然而，当L2-17和L2-5菌株直接接种到小鼠上生殖道时，它们都维持了长达4周的强烈感染过程。在多株小鼠中证实了CPAF依赖的衣原体在下生殖道中的存活。因此，我们证明了CPAF在促进沙眼衣原体在小鼠下生殖道存活中的关键作用。进一步研究CPAF依赖的衣原体致病性机制将很有趣。
