Dendrimer-enabled DNA delivery and transformation of Chlamydia pneumoniae – Accepted Manuscript

Abstract: The chlamydiae are important human pathogens. Lack of a genetic manipulation system has impeded understanding of the molecular bases of virulence for these bacteria. We developed a dendrimer-enabled system for transformation of chlamydiae and used it to characterize the effects of inserting the C. trachomatis plasmid into C. pneumoniae,… Abstract: The chlamydiae are important human pathogens. Lack of a genetic manipulation system has impeded understanding of the molecular bases of virulence for these bacteria. We developed a dendrimer-enabled system for transformation of chlamydiae and used it to characterize the effects of inserting the C. trachomatis plasmid into C. pneumoniae, which lacks any plasmids. The plasmid was cloned into modified yeast vector pEG(KG) and the clone complexed to polyamidoamine dendrimers, producing 50–100 nm spherical particles. HEp-2 cell cultures were infected with C. pneumoniae strain AR-39. 24 hours later, medium was replaced for 3 hours with dendrimer-plasmid complexes, then removed and the medium replaced. Cultures were harvested at various times post-transformation. Real time PCR and RT-PCR of nucleic acids from transformed cultures demonstrated plasmid replication and gene expression. The cloned plasmid was replicated and expressed in transformants over 5 passages. This system will allow study of chlamydial gene function, allowing development of novel dendrimer-based therapies.Graphical abstract: Dendrimer-plasmid DNA complexes are delivered efficiently to growing intracellular chlamydiae to introduce exogenous genes for expression.

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