# VIRULENCE FACTORS OF CHLAMYDIAE

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 1991 · $276,979

## Abstract

Over four million men, women and infants suffer from chlamydial genital
infection annually.  Women bear a special burden because of their increased
risk of adverse reproductive consequences.  C. trachomatis is responsible
for 25-50% of the estimated one million cases of pelvic inflammatory
disease/year.  The majority of cases of tubal disease associated with
chlamydial salpingitis appear to result from chronic, subclinical
infection.  Since the disease process is not understood, our ultimate goal
is to elucidate the basic biology of chlamydial growth in human epithelial
cells in order to learn more about the mechanism of persistent infection.
The in vitro model system we are using consists of estrogen-exposed,
polarized human endometrial gland epithelial cells (HEGEC).

The four Specific Aims are to:  identify the chlamydial adhesin(s) and the
human epithelial receptor(s), and to devise a system to reintroduce into
chlamydiae altered genetic material for substantiating the identity of the
proposed adhesin genes as well as for opening up exciting possibilities for
exploring gene regulation.  Two functional methods have been used to screen
the C. trachomatis genomic library, generated with pUC19.  The whole cell
assay detects E. coli recombinants bound to the apical surfaces of HEGEC.
On the assumption that a chlamydial adhesin may not properly fold and be
expressed on the surface of E. coli, the second screening method tests
lysates of recombinants for binding to 35S met/cys-labeled (i) CHAPS-
solubilized epithelial plasma membrane and (ii) "right-side out" membrane
vesicles generated by vinblastin/cytochalasin or phenylarsine oxide
treatment.  Several recombinants, positive in both screening methods, show
promise in that they express chlamydia-specific proteins in their outer
membranes and their binding characteristics parallel those of chlamydiae.
In Specific Aim 4, the same radiolabeled apical membranes will be bound to
infectious chlamydiae, the complex immuno-precipitated with anti-chlamydial
antibody, subjected to SDS-PAGE, autoradiography and electroblot for
preliminary identification of epithelial receptors.  Chlamydial promoters
from the 7.5kb plasmid, identified via use of promoterless vectors and
active in both E. coli and replicating C. trachomatis (RB) in vitro, will
be cloned for construction of shuttle vectors.  These vectors will serve to
reintroduce genetic material into infectious as well as actively growing
chlamydiae in infected host cells by electroporation or microinjection.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3125440
- **Project number:** 2R01AI013446-12A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **SAM.gov UEI:** D3LHU66KBLD5
- **Principal Investigator:** Priscilla B. Wyrick
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $276,979
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1979-01-01 → 1995-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3125440

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3125440, VIRULENCE FACTORS OF CHLAMYDIAE (2R01AI013446-12A1). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3125440. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*