TitleUnraveling the basic biology and clinical significance of the chlamydial plasmid.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsRockey, DD
JournalThe Journal of experimental medicine
Volume208
Issue11
Pagination2159-62
Date Published2011 Oct 24
KeywordsAttenuated, Vaccines
Abstract

Chlamydial plasmids are small, highly conserved, nonconjugative, and nonintegrative DNA molecules that are nearly ubiquitous in many chlamydial species, including Chlamydia trachomatis. There has been significant recent progress in understanding chlamydial plasmid participation in host-microbe interactions, disease, and immune responses. Work in mouse model systems and, very recently, in nonhuman primates demonstrates that plasmid-deficient chlamydial strains function as live attenuated vaccines against genital and ocular infections. Collectively, these studies open new avenues of research into developing vaccines against trachoma and sexually transmitted chlamydial infections.