Complete Sequence of Chlamydia trachomatis serovar A Released

CHICAGO, IL and Hamilton, MT - December 15, 2005

The sequence of Chlamydia trachomatis serovar A was published and released by the Chlamydial Pathogenesis Section of the Laboratory of Intracellular Parasites (LICP) at Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML Hamilton, Montana) with the assistance Integrated Genomics Inc.. 

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is an important cause of preventable blindness and sexually transmitted disease in humans. The complete and published sequence of the second genome now allows researchers to investigate the genetics behind the preference of different variants of this parasite to cause disease in either the eye or the urogenital tract. The complete sequence also allows the investigation of novel vaccine strategies and the discovery of diagnostics that can discriminate between ocular and genital strains. (Infect Immun. 2005 Oct;73(10):6407-18.)

Scientists at Integrated Genomics Inc. (Chicago, Illinois), sequenced and closed the genome of the serovar A strain and worked with LICP scientists to compare the serovar A genome to other strains of C. trachomatis with Integrated Genomics’ proprietary ERGO™ bioinformatics discovery software.

Optimized for analysis of micro-organisms, ERGO™ integrates biological data from genomics, biochemistry, gene expression studies, genetics and literature. Reaching beyond conventional systems for functional analysis of DNA sequences, Integrated Genomics' platform combines pattern-based analysis with comparative genomics and enables visualization of genes in the contexts of regulation, gene expression data, phylogeny, chromosomal neighborhoods and identification of natural gene fusions. ERGO™ contains more than 900 genomes at various stages of completion, as well as the largest available collection of networked cellular pathways.

Integrated Genomics and RML expect the current project to run through 2006.

About Integrated Genomics
Integrated Genomics is a provider of bioinformatics products and services for the life science industry, with a recent focus on the use of in silico strategies for metabolic engineering of microbes in the chemical, food, and agricultural industries. The company's expertise in microbial genomics includes genome sequencing, genome analysis and custom bioinformatics. In recent years IG has developed and distributed ERGO™, the most advanced and comprehensive bioinformatics suite for microbial genomics on the market. ERGO™ contains the largest available integration of microbial genome data, including genome-derived metabolic reconstructions and representing the chemical reaction networks of metabolic pathways.

About the Laboratory of Intracellular Parasites at RML
Originally founded in 1927 by the Montana Legislature as modern entomological laboratory in Hamilton, Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) became a federal facility in 1937 and part of what is known today as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health. The Laboratory of Intracellular Parasites (LICP)investigates the biology, pathogenesis, and immunity of intracellular prokaryotic pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii, and Salmonella typhimurium. These agents are important causes of sexually transmitted diseases, preventable blindness, chronic heart disease, as well as category A and B bioterrorism agents. The long-term goal of the laboratory is the development of new and effective control strategies against intracellular bacterial parasitic infection.

Contact:
Vinayak Kapatral, Ph.D.
Vice President, Business Development
Integrated Genomics
(312) 491-0846 ext.326
Vinayak@integratedgenomics.com