TY - JOUR A1 - Thomson, Nicholas R. A1 - Holden, Matthew T.G. A1 - Carder, Caroline A1 - Lennard, Nicola A1 - Lockey, Sarah J. A1 - Marsh, Pete A1 - Skipp, Paul A1 - O’Connor, C. David A1 - Goodhead, Ian A1 - Norbertzcak, Halina A1 - Harris, Barbara A1 - Ormond, Doug A1 - Rance, Richard A1 - Quail, Michael A. A1 - Parkhill, Julian A1 - Stephens, Richard S. A1 - Clarke, Ian N. T1 - Chlamydia trachomatis: Genome sequence analysis of lymphogranuloma venereum isolates Y1 - 2008/01/01 JF - Genome Research JO - Genome Research SP - 161 EP - 171 DO - 10.1101/gr.7020108 VL - 18 IS - 1 UR - http://genome.cshlp.org/content/18/1/161.abstract N2 - Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of sexually transmitted infections in the UK, a statistic that is also reflected globally. There are three biovariants of C. trachomatis: trachoma (serotypes A–C) and two sexually transmitted pathovars; serotypes D–K and lyphogranuloma venereum (LGV). Trachoma isolates and the sexually transmitted serotypes D–K are noninvasive, whereas the LGV strains are invasive, causing a disseminating infection of the local draining lymph nodes. Genome sequences are available for single isolates from the trachoma (serotype A) and sexually transmitted (serotype D) biotypes. We sequenced two isolates from the remaining biotype, LGV, a long-term laboratory passaged strain and the recent “epidemic” LGV isolate-causing proctitis. Although the genome of the LGV strain shows no additional genes that could account for the differences in disease outcome, we found evidence of functional gene loss and identified regions of heightened sequence variation that have previously been shown to be important sites for interstrain recombination. We have used new sequencing technologies to show that the recent clinical LGV isolate causing proctitis is unlikely to be a newly emerged strain but is most probably an old strain with relatively new clinical manifestations. ER -