Chlamydia pneumoniaeSecretion of a Protease-Like Activity Factor for Degrading Host Cell Transcription Factors Is Required for Major Histocompatibility Complex Antigen Expression

Abstract excerpt

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a causative agent for many respiratory infections and has been associated with cardiovascular diseases in humans. The pathogenicity of C. pneumoniae is thought to depend on its ability to cause persistent infection and to evade host defense. Genome sequence analysis indicates that C. pneumoniae encodes a homologue of a chlamydial protease-like activity factor from C. trachomatis (CPAFct)....