Chlamydia

Submitted by amh10 on 12 March, 2007 - 21:42

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF CHLAMYDIA spp.

  • Obligatory intracellular Gram-negative parasites
  • Contains both DNA & RNA.
  • Elementary body-reticulate body cycle
    • Elementary body:
      • Small
      • Electron-dense core, rigid
      • Infectious to host
      • Metabolically inactive
      • Resistant to trypsin
    • Reticulate body:
      • Larger
      • Fragile, pleomorphic
      • Non-infectious to host
      • Active, replicating stage
      • Trypsin sensitive
  • Lack of peptidoglycan
  • Common group antigen (lipopolysaccharide)
  • Tendency to persistent infections
  • Immune defense participates in the development of lesions
  • Does Chlamydophila pneumoniae have a role in atherosclerosis?

AMH

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