ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the macromolecular composition of chlamydiae from a descriptive, structural/functional, and immunological perspective to provide a background with which to better understand chlamydial virulence, elementary body - reticulate body - elementary body transformation during the developmental cycle, and the immune response to chlamydial infections. It deals with chlamydial proteins partly because more is presently known about them than other components, and because they appear to be intimately involved in every aspect of chlamydial biology. Surface radioiodination of chlamydial proteins by a method employing lactoperoxidase has shown that major outer membrane protein and a number of other proteins may be exposed on the bacterial surface. Relative to the many reports on chlamydial proteins, there are few studies of chlamydial lipid composition or synthesis. When thin-sections of chlamydia are viewed under the electron microscope a clearly defined periplasmic space or peptidoglycan layer is not identified. The chapter summarizes the antigenic nature of various chlamydial components.
