Physicochemical surface properties of elementary bodies from different serotypes of chlamydia trachomatis and their interaction with mouse fibroblasts.

Aqueous biphasic partitioning, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography were used to characterize the surface properties of Renografin-purified elementary bodies of Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes E and L1. The two serotypes differed with respect to liability to hydrophobic interaction and negative surface charge. Furthermore, the mutual relative magnitude of these parameters differed between the two serotypes, depending on the chromatographic technique used. This indicates that these chromatographic techniques register different aspects of charge and hydrophobicity on the chlamydial surface. DEAE-dextran and dextran sulfate affected association of, penetration, and intracellular development of C. trachomatis in mouse fibroblasts (McCoy cells). DEAE-dextran affected the association of C. trachomatis serotype E with McCoy cells mainly by charge-dependent forces, whereas both DEAE-dextran and dextran sulfate influenced the association of C. trachomatis serotype L1 mainly by charge-independent forces. These results indicate that the numerous biological differences between lymphogranuloma venereum and non-lymphogranuloma venereum strains of C. trachomatis may be assigned to differences in surface properties between the two strains.