Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.

Chlamydia trachomatis infects squamous and columnar epithelia at the mucosal surface. Research on gene expression patterns of C. trachomatis has predominantly focused on non-native host cells, with limited data on growth kinetics and gene expression of chlamydia in keratinocytes. Here, we investigat...

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Main Authors: Gugulethu F Mzobe, Sinaye Ngcapu, Bronwyn C Joubert, Willem A Sturm
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249358
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author Gugulethu F Mzobe
Sinaye Ngcapu
Bronwyn C Joubert
Willem A Sturm
author_facet Gugulethu F Mzobe
Sinaye Ngcapu
Bronwyn C Joubert
Willem A Sturm
author_sort Gugulethu F Mzobe
collection DOAJ
description Chlamydia trachomatis infects squamous and columnar epithelia at the mucosal surface. Research on gene expression patterns of C. trachomatis has predominantly focused on non-native host cells, with limited data on growth kinetics and gene expression of chlamydia in keratinocytes. Here, we investigated whether early, mid, and late chlamydial genes observed in HeLa cell line studies were co-ordinately regulated at the transcriptional level even in the keratinized cell line model and whether the expression was stage-specific during the developmental cycle. HaCaT cell lines were infected with chlamydia clinical isolates (US151and serovar E) and reference strain (L2 434). Expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA, and omcB genes was conducted with comparative real-time PCR and transcriptional events during the chlamydial developmental cycle using transmission electron microscopy. The relative expression level of each gene and fold difference were calculated using the 2-ΔΔCT method. The expression of groEL-1 and pyk-F genes was highest at 2 hours post-infection (hpi) in the L2 434 and serovar E. The expression of incB gene increased at 2 hpi in L2 434 and serovar E but peaked at 12 hpi in serovar E. L2 434 and US151 had similar tal expression profiles. Increased expression of hctA and omcB genes were found at 2 and 36 hpi in L2 434. Both clinical isolates and reference strains presented the normal chlamydial replication cycle comprising elementary bodies and reticulate bodies within 36 hpi. We show different gene expression patterns between clinical isolates and reference strain during in vitro infection of keratinocytes, with reference strain-inducing consistent expression of genes. These findings confirm that keratinocytes are appropriate cell lines to interrogate cell differentiation, growth kinetics, and gene expression of C. trachomatis infection. Furthermore, more studies with different clinical isolates and genes are needed to better understand the Chlamydial pathogenesis in keratinocytes.
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spelling doaj.art-9ad86d1f57ee4827a4e990516ceda1922022-12-21T23:08:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01164e024935810.1371/journal.pone.0249358Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.Gugulethu F MzobeSinaye NgcapuBronwyn C JoubertWillem A SturmChlamydia trachomatis infects squamous and columnar epithelia at the mucosal surface. Research on gene expression patterns of C. trachomatis has predominantly focused on non-native host cells, with limited data on growth kinetics and gene expression of chlamydia in keratinocytes. Here, we investigated whether early, mid, and late chlamydial genes observed in HeLa cell line studies were co-ordinately regulated at the transcriptional level even in the keratinized cell line model and whether the expression was stage-specific during the developmental cycle. HaCaT cell lines were infected with chlamydia clinical isolates (US151and serovar E) and reference strain (L2 434). Expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA, and omcB genes was conducted with comparative real-time PCR and transcriptional events during the chlamydial developmental cycle using transmission electron microscopy. The relative expression level of each gene and fold difference were calculated using the 2-ΔΔCT method. The expression of groEL-1 and pyk-F genes was highest at 2 hours post-infection (hpi) in the L2 434 and serovar E. The expression of incB gene increased at 2 hpi in L2 434 and serovar E but peaked at 12 hpi in serovar E. L2 434 and US151 had similar tal expression profiles. Increased expression of hctA and omcB genes were found at 2 and 36 hpi in L2 434. Both clinical isolates and reference strains presented the normal chlamydial replication cycle comprising elementary bodies and reticulate bodies within 36 hpi. We show different gene expression patterns between clinical isolates and reference strain during in vitro infection of keratinocytes, with reference strain-inducing consistent expression of genes. These findings confirm that keratinocytes are appropriate cell lines to interrogate cell differentiation, growth kinetics, and gene expression of C. trachomatis infection. Furthermore, more studies with different clinical isolates and genes are needed to better understand the Chlamydial pathogenesis in keratinocytes.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249358
spellingShingle Gugulethu F Mzobe
Sinaye Ngcapu
Bronwyn C Joubert
Willem A Sturm
Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.
PLoS ONE
title Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.
title_full Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.
title_fullStr Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.
title_full_unstemmed Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.
title_short Differential expression of groEL-1, incB, pyk-F, tal, hctA and omcB genes during Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle.
title_sort differential expression of groel 1 incb pyk f tal hcta and omcb genes during chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249358
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