Protein profiles of dense-centered forms of five chlamydial strains of animal origin.

Purified dense-centered form of 1 bovine strain (LW613) and 3 ovine strains (B577, 034-EYE, and 047-EYE) of Chlamydia psittaci and 1 murine strain of Chlamydia trachomatis (MoPn) were dissociated in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 2-mercaptoethanol. The number of polypeptides detected in the 5 strains varied between 17 and 20, with a molecular weight range of 29,000 to 120,000. Two polypeptides predominated and comprised approximately a third of the total protein in each of the 5 strains. The average molecular weights of the 2 polypeptides were 89,000 and 85,250 for 4 of the strains, and the polypeptide molecular weights were 100,000 and 98,000 for the ovine abortion strain (B577). Molecular weights and proportional composition of the polypeptides permitted differentiation of the chlamydial strains. The 3 strains from naturally occurring conjunctivitis or polyarthritis (LW613, 034-EYE, and 047-EYE) had similar polypeptide profile in the 75,000 to 100,000 molecular weight range. The polypeptides of the ovine abortion strain (B577) differed significantly from these 3 strains. Eight of the polypeptides of this strain had a molecular weight of 100,000 or greater, and 3 of the predominant polypeptides were in excess of 100,000. In contrast, some of the polypeptides of the murine strain had lower molecular weights than the 4 other strains. Three predominant polypeptides had molecular weights below 50,000.