Bacteria Genomes - PARACHLAMYDIA

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria with an extraordinary broad host range. They thrive within the cells of vertebrates, invertebrates and protozoa . Chlamydiae form a phylogenetically separate group of bacteria, the order Chlamydiales. Chlamydiae are widespread pathogens of animals and humans.

In the early 1990's obligate intracellular chlamydia-like bacteria were first recognised as symbionts of free-living amoebae. Since then, a growing number of so called environmental chlamydiae have been isolated and identified. Environmental chlamydiae are characterised by an unique biphasic developmental cycle. They live as endosymbionts of free-living amoebae and arthropods.

The discovery of environmental chlamydiae and the detection of chlamydia-like rRNA gene sequences in environmental and medical specimen has changed the perception of the diversity of chlamydiae and their occurrence in the environment. Therefore the family Parachlamydiaceae (including the genera Parachlamydia and Neochlamydia ), has been proposed for classification of those novel chlamydiae.

The Parachlamydia -related symbiont UWE25 was selected as representative member of the environmental chlamydiae for whole genome sequencing. Sequence comparison with already completed genomes of traditional chlamydiae ( C. pneumoniae, C. trachomatis, and C. muridarum) will allow new insights into the evolution of chlamydiae and their adaptation to different eukaryotic hosts.

References:

http://www.chlamydiae.com/
http://webclu.bio.wzw.tum.de/genre/proj/uwe25/project.html
http://www.microbial-ecology.de/edge.html