Evidence that human Chlamydia pneumoniae was zoonotically acquired

G S A Myers; S A Mathews; M Eppinger; C M Mitchell; K K O'Brien; O R White; F Benahmed; R C Brunham; T D Read; J Ravel; P M Bavoil; Peter Timms

doi:10.1128/JB.00746-09

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Evidence that human Chlamydia pneumoniae was zoonotically acquired

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Evidence that human Chlamydia pneumoniae was zoonotically acquired

G S A Myers, S A Mathews, M Eppinger, C M Mitchell, K K O'Brien, O R White, F Benahmed, R C Brunham, T D Read, J Ravel, …

Journal of Bacteriology, Vol.191(23), pp.7225-7233

2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00746-09

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Abstract

Chlamydophila pneumoniae

Zoonotic infections are a growing threat to global health. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that is widespread in human populations, causing acute respiratory disease, and has been associated with chronic disease. C. pneumoniae was first identified solely in human populations; however, its host range now includes other mammals, marsupials, amphibians, and reptiles. Australian koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are widely infected with two species of Chlamydia, C. pecorum and C. pneumoniae. Transmission of C. pneumoniae between animals and humans has not been reported; however, two other chlamydial species, C. psittaci and C. abortus, are known zoonotic pathogens. We have sequenced the 1,241,024-bp chromosome and a 7.5-kb cryptic chlamydial plasmid of the koala strain of C. pneumoniae (LPCoLN) using the whole-genome shotgun method. Comparative genomic analysis, including pseudogene and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distribution, and phylogenetic analysis of conserved genes and SNPs against the human isolates of C. pneumoniae show that the LPCoLN isolate is basal to human isolates. Thus, we propose based on compelling genomic and phylogenetic evidence that humans were originally infected zoonotically by an animal isolate(s) of C. pneumoniae which adapted to humans primarily through the processes of gene decay and plasmid loss, to the point where the animal reservoir is no longer required for transmission.

Details

Title: Evidence that human Chlamydia pneumoniae was zoonotically acquired
Authors: G S A Myers (Author) - University of Maryland, United States
S A Mathews (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
M Eppinger (Author) - University of Maryland, United States
C M Mitchell (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
K K O'Brien (Author) - University of Maryland, United States
O R White (Author) - University of Maryland, United States
F Benahmed (Author) - Maryland Medical Centre, United States
R C Brunham (Author) - University of British Columbia, Canada
T D Read (Author) - Emory University, United States
J Ravel (Author) - University of Maryland, United States
P M Bavoil (Author) - University of Maryland, United States
Peter Timms (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Journal of Bacteriology, Vol.191(23), pp.7225-7233
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date published: 2009
DOI: 10.1128/JB.00746-09
ISSN: 0021-9193
Copyright note: Copyright © 2010 American Society for Microbiology. The author's accepted version is reproduced here in accordance with the publisher's copyright policy. The definitive version is available at http://aem.asm.org/.
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99448907002621
Output Type: Journal article

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Web Of Science research areas: Microbiology

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