This review summarises major highlights on the structural biology of the chlamydial envelope. Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria, characterised by a unique biphasic developmental cycle. Depending on the stage of their lifecycle, they appear in the form of elementary or reticulate bodies. Since these particles have distinctive functions, it is not surprising that their envelope differs in lipid as well as in protein content. Vice versa, by identifying surface proteins, specific characteristics of the particles such as rigidity or immunogenicity may be deduced. Detailed information on the bacterial membranes will increase our understanding on the host–pathogen interactions chlamydiae employ to survive and grow and might lead to new strategies to battle chlamydial infections.

这篇综述总结了衣原体包膜结构生物学的主要亮点。衣原体是专性细胞内细菌，其特征在于独特的双相发育周期。根据其生命周期的阶段，它们以基本或网状体的形式出现。由于这些颗粒具有独特的功能，因此它们的包膜在脂质和蛋白质含量方面也不同也就不足为奇了。反之亦然，通过鉴定表面蛋白，可以推断出颗粒的特定特征，例如刚度或免疫原性。有关细菌膜的详细信息将增进我们对衣原体赖以生存和生长的宿主与病原体相互作用的了解，并可能导致对抗衣原体感染的新策略。