Bacteria Genomes - CHLAMYDOPHILA PNEUMONIAE

The genus Chlamydia includes 3 species that are pathogenic to humans: Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, and Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligately intracellular Gram-negative bacterium.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae is a respiratory pathogenic infection which causes mild pneumonia or bronchitis in adolescents and young adults. Older adults may experience more severe disease and repeated infections. It may be associated with atherosclerotic vascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and asthma. Chlamydophila pneumoniae, is an airborne organism and is present in half the US population by the time they are 20.

The genome has been sequenced and compared to that of Chlamydia trachomatis, the pathogen responsible for eye infection that can lead to blindness, and sexually transmitted diseases such as pelvic inflammatory disease. Comparison of the Chlamydophila pneumoniae genome with the Chlamydia trachomatis genome allowed the researchers to investigate the common biological processes required for infection and survival in mammalian cells.

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/chlamydiapneumonia_t.htm
http://www.emedicine.com/med/byname/chlamydia-pneumonia.htm
Nat Genet 21(4):385-9 (1999)
Nucleic Acids Res ;28(6):1397-406 (2000)