In order to test the effect of silent mutations on the regulation of gene expression, we monitored several steps of transcription and translation of the ompA gene in vivo , in which some or all codons between codons 6 and 14, frequently used in Escherichia coli , had been exchanged for infrequent synonymous codons. Northern blot analysis revealed an up to 4-fold reduction in the half-life of th...

Trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, is an ancient human disease. Its existence in China can be traced back to as early as the twenty-seventh century BC. In modern China, the overall prevalence of trachoma has dramatically reduced, but trachoma is still endemic in many areas of the country. Here, we report that 26 (8%) of 322 students from two rural boarding schools of...

The basic surface protein, BspA, has been used as a fusion partner to direct peptide antigens from the human immunodeficiency virus gp41 protein and the Chlamydia psittaci OmpA protein to the cell surface of Lactobacillus fermentum BR11. BspA has potential utility in the construction of live vaccines and diagnostic reagents.

Dermacentor nuttallii from Siberia, Rhipicephalus sanguineus from Crimea, and Rh. pumilio from the Astrakhan region were infected with Rickettsia sibirica (12%), R. conorii (8%), and the Astrakhan fever agent (3%), respectively. Three new Rickettsiae of the R. massiliae genogroup were identified in ticks by 16S rDNA, gltA, and ompA sequencing.

We report the first documented case of an extragestational infection with Chlamydophila abortus in humans. The pathogen was identified in a patient with severe pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) by sequence analysis of the ompA gene. Our findings raise the possibility that Chlamydiaceae other than Chlamydia trachomatis are involved in PID.