Biology of Chlamydia (Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology Book 412)

The genus __Chlamydia__ encompasses a number of species of obligate intracellular bacteria, including important human pathogens like the most common bacterial agent of sexually transmitted disease. This volume reviews current knowledge of chlamydial biology, covering the unusual structure of the bacteria – which alternate between metabolically almost inactive and fast-dividing forms. It also discusses the ways in which __Chlamydia__ manipulates the host cytoskeleton and subverts the host cell’s defence, and illustrates how genomics have begun to uncover the diversity and complexity of chlamydial strains that look very similar but may cause distinct forms of disease. Further, it describes how techniques are now finally being established that can genetically modify __Chlamydia,__ and discusses why such modification is still very difficult and what progress we can expect. Lastly, it presents our current understanding of chlamydial disease: what do we know about chronic infections, what are the mechanisms of inflammatory damage, and what are the prospects of a vaccine? Written be specialists in these various areas, the book is a valuable work of reference for students and scientists with an interest in the molecular, cellular and immunobiology of these fascinating bacteria. The genus Chlamydia encompasses a number of species of obligate intracellular bacteria, including important human pathogens like the most common bacterial agent of sexually transmitted disease. This volume reviews current knowledge of chlamydial biology, covering the unusual structure of the bacteria - which alternate between metabolically almost inactive and fast-dividing forms. It also discusses the ways in which Chlamydia manipulates the host cytoskeleton and subverts the host cell{u2019}s defence, and illustrates how genomics have begun to uncover the diversity and complexity of chlamydial strains that look very similar but may cause distinct forms of disease. Further, it describes how techniques are now finally being established that can genetically modify Chlamydia, and discusses why such modification is still very difficult and what progress we can expect. Lastly, it presents our current understanding of chlamydial disease: what do we know about chronic infections, what are the mechanisms of inflammatory damage, and what are the prospects of a vaccine? Written be specialists in these various areas, the book is a valuable work of reference for students and scientists with an interest in the molecular, cellular and immunobiology of these fascinating bacteria.--Publisher's website Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Deconstructing the Chlamydial Cell Wall (Anna Klöckner, Henrike Bühl, Patrick Viollier, Beate Henrichfreise)....Pages 1-33 One Face of Chlamydia trachomatis: The Infectious Elementary Body (Mathilde M. Cossé, Richard D. Hayward, Agathe Subtil)....Pages 35-58 Manipulation of the Host Cell Cytoskeleton by Chlamydia (Ana T. Nogueira, Antonio T. Pedrosa, Rey A. Carabeo)....Pages 59-80 Subversion of Cell-Autonomous Host Defense by Chlamydia Infection (Annette Fischer, Thomas Rudel)....Pages 81-106 The Hidden Genomics of Chlamydia trachomatis (James Hadfield, Angèle Bénard, Daryl Domman, Nicholas Thomson)....Pages 107-131 Advances and Obstacles in the Genetic Dissection of Chlamydial Virulence (Julie A. Brothwell, Matthew K. Muramatsu, Guangming Zhong, David E. Nelson)....Pages 133-158 Chlamydia trachomatis as the Cause of Infectious Infertility: Acute, Repetitive or Persistent Long-Term Infection? (Larissa Schuchardt, Jan Rupp)....Pages 159-182 Immunopathogenesis of Chlamydial Infections (Ashlesh K. Murthy, Weidang Li, Kyle H. Ramsey)....Pages 183-215 Chlamydia trachomatis: Protective Adaptive Responses and Prospects for a Vaccine (Taylor B. Poston, Toni Darville)....Pages 217-237