Chlamydial Manipulation of Host Apoptosis

衣原体操纵宿主细胞凋亡的机制 人类的衣原体感染对发育中和发育中的人都是一个主要的健康问题。 发达国家。泌尿生殖道C.沙眼是导致 性传播细菌疾病，也与某些类型的宫颈癌有关， 呼吸道感染C.肺炎菌与动脉粥样硬化有关， 心血管疾病导致的心脑血管死亡虽然C.鹦鹉热主要是一种动物 病原体，人类也容易受到C。鹦鹉热感染，危及生命 肺炎由于人类可以通过被污染的雾化动物粪便获得感染 梭鹦鹉热生物，CDC曾将C.作为生物防御的B类药剂。 这些衣原体诱导或相关的病理主要是由于衣原体的能力， 有效复制或在细胞质液泡内实现长期持续， 真核细胞，这是由衣原体独特的细胞内双相生命周期和 衣原体逃避宿主防御的能力。目前的建议旨在了解如何 衣原体逃避一个非常重要的宿主防御效应机制--凋亡。我们有 先前的研究表明，衣原体具有有效的抗凋亡活性， 有助于衣原体在受感染宿主体内长时间存活。通过 鉴定负责衣原体抗凋亡活性的分子， 如何抗凋亡分子的工作提出了在目前的项目，我们也许能够 开发用于阻断衣原体抗凋亡活性和预防衣原体感染的试剂/方法。 衣原体引起的疾病

Mechanisms of Chlamydial Manipulation of Host Cell Apoptosis Chlamydial infection in humans imposes a major health problem in both developing and developed nations. Urogenital tract infection with C. trachomatis species is a leading cause of sexually transmitted bacterial diseases and is also linked to certain type of cervical carcinoma while respiratory infection with C. pneumoniae species is associated with atherosclerosis, a major vascular condition for cardio-cerebral fatality. Although the species C. psittaci is primarily an animal pathogen, humans are also susceptible to C. psittaci infection, developing life-threatening pneumonia. Since humans can acquire infection via aerosolized animal feces that are contaminated with C. psittaci organisms, CDC has once listed C. psittaci as a category B agent for biodefense. These chlamydia-induced or -associated pathologies are largely due to Chlamydial ability to either productively replicate or to achieve a long-term persistence within a cytoplasmic vacuole of eukaryotic cells, which are aided by the Chlamydial unique intracellular biphasic life cycle and the Chlamydial ability to evade host defense. The current proposal is designed to understand how chlamydia evades a very important host defense effector mechanism¿apoptosis. We have previously demonstrated that chlamydia possesses a potent antiapoptotic activity, which may contribute to the Chlamydial ability to survive in the infected hosts for long periods of time. By identifying the molecule(s) responsible for the Chlamydial antiapoptotic activity and understanding how the antiapoptotic molecules work as proposed in the current project, we may be able to develop reagents/approaches for blocking the Chlamydial antiapoptotic activity and preventing chlamydia-induced pathologies.