Journal article
Chlamydia trachomatis from Australian Aboriginal people with trachoma are polyphyletic composed of multiple distinctive lineages
P Andersson, SR Harris, HMBS Smith, J Hadfield, C O'Neill, LT Cutcliffe, FP Douglas, LV Asche, JD Mathews, SI Hutton, DS Sarovich, SYC Tong, IN Clarke, NR Thomson, PM Giffard
Nature Communications | Published : 2016
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10688
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis causes sexually transmitted infections and the blinding disease trachoma. Current data on C. trachomatis phylogeny show that there is only a single trachoma-causing clade, which is distinct from the lineages causing urogenital tract (UGT) and lymphogranuloma venerum diseases. Here we report the whole-genome sequences of ocular C. trachomatis isolates obtained from young children with clinical signs of trachoma in a trachoma endemic region of northern Australia. The isolates form two lineages that fall outside the classical trachoma lineage, instead being placed within UGT clades of the C. trachomatis phylogenetic tree. The Australian trachoma isolates appear to be recom..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by Ramaciotti Foundations
Funding Acknowledgements
For the studies performed in the 1980s and 1990s, we thank all members of communities and staff of the health facilities involved in the studies. Laboratory technical assistance was provided by Dae Sharrock, Heidi Smith-Vaughan, Joanne Bex and Marlene Calley; clinical and data entry assistance by Julie Newton, Wendy Schubert and Gabrielle Falls; other particular assistance by Salwa Bidawid-Woodroffe and Jenny Powers. For the studies commencing in 2012, we thank Joanne Bex for assistance with retrieving frozen stored material. The studies performed in the 1980s and 1990s were supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundation and the Channel 10 Children's Medical Foundation. F.P.D. was supported by a Father Frank Flynn Fellowship from the Northern Territory Government. The studies commencing in 2012 were supported by Australian National Health and Medical Research Project Grants (1004123 and 1060768) and the Wellcome Trust, grant #098051 to Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. S.Y.C.T. is an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellow (1065736).