Sequence analysis of the major outer membrane protein gene of an ovine abortion strain of<i>Chlamydia psittaci</i>

Abstract

The major outer membrane protein (MOMP) gene from an ovine abortion strain of Chlamydia psittaci (S26/3) has been cloned and sequenced. The gene shows the features of other chlamydial MOMPs but comparison with the previously reported sequence for the ovine abortion isolate A22/M has revealed substantial sequence divergence which is clustered into the same four intramolecular regions as the sequence variation found between C. trachomatis serovars. Subsequent restriction enzyme analysis of A22/M DNA has shown that it has an avian-type genomic profile and thus the comparison is between types rather than between strains.