NEW YORK, May 23 (GenomeWeb News) - Researchers in the UK have sequenced the genome of Chlamydophilia abortus, a bacterium responsible for infectious abortions in ruminants and pigs.
The research, which appears in the May issue of Genome Research, showed that the bacterium has about 1.1 million base pairs for a predicted 961 genes.
According to the researchers, C. abortus infection is the most common cause of abortions in sheep in the
"Comparing this genome with those of other chlamydial species sequenced to date and others that are in progress will help to identify proteins for vaccine development and for the development of specific diagnostic tests," David Longbottom, head of molecular chlamydia research at the Moredun Research Institute, said in a statement.
The findings were reported by scientists from The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Moredun Research Institute, and the Scottish Crop Research Institute.