AUTHOR=Wen Yating , Chen Hongliang , Luo Fangzhen , Zhao Lanhua , Shu Mingyi , Su Shengmei , Zhao Yuqi , Huang Qiulin , Li Zhongyu 

TITLE=Chlamydia trachomatis Plasmid Protein pORF5 Up-Regulates ZFAS1 to Promote Host Cell Survival via MAPK/p38 Pathway

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.593295

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.593295

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to play essential roles in many diseases. However, few studies have shown that lncRNAs take part in the pathogenesis of <italic>Chlamydia trachomatis</italic> (<italic>C. trachomatis</italic>). Here, we used a lncRNA microarray to detect the global lncRNA expression profiles in HeLa cells transfected with pORF5 plasmid protein, an important virulence factor for <italic>C. trachomatis</italic>. The differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs screened by microarray were selected for validation by quantitative real-time PCR. The up-regulated lncRNA zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) was presumed to involved in MAPK pathways by bioinformatics analysis. Inhibition of ZFAS1 decreased the apoptotic rate of pORF5 and reduced the infectivity of <italic>C. trachomatis</italic>, and MAPK/p38 pathway was involved in anti-apoptotic effect induced by ZFAS1. Therefore, the present study confirmed that pORF5 up-regulates ZFAS1 to promote host cell survival via MAPK/p38 pathway and influences the infectivity of <italic>C. trachomatis.</italic></p>