The plasmids of Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydophila pneumoniae (N16): accurate determination of copy number and the paradoxical effect of plasmid-curing agents.

A 7.5 kbp cryptic plasmid is found in almost all isolates of Chlamydia trachomatis. Real-time PCR assays, using TaqMan chemistry, were set up to quantify accurately both the chlamydial plasmid and the single copy, chromosomal omcB gene in the infectious, elementary bodies (EBs) of C.