Purification of Chlamydia trachomatis by a simple and rapid filtration method

A simple method for filter purification of Chlamydia trachomatis from cell culture is described. Crude homogenates of chlamydiae-infected cells were passed through a glass prefilter and a 0.6 microns pore diameter polycarbonate filter. The filtrate was then passed through a 0.2 microns pore diameter filter on which the chlamydiae were trapped. This filter was then back-washed to collect the organisms. These procedures removed cell debris and soluble protein, and yielded particles with a narrow size distribution. The mean yield of viable chlamydiae purified by filtration was 64% when the filters were washed at each stage of the process.