Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “TREPONEMA”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

Ribosomal ribonucleic acid synthesis by virulent Treponema pallidum.

Ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) synthesis by virulent Treponema pallidum was monitored by incorporation of [(3)H]uridine into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable counts and examination of radiolabeled rRNA on polyacrylamide gels. Verification that rRNA synthesis originated with T. pallidum was based upon co-electrophoresis with Escherichia coli rRNA, proportionate reductions in the amount of rRNA synthesized when numbers of treponemes were decreased, and inclusion of appropriate animal cell controls. The rate of treponemal rRNA synthesis was greater at temperatures of 37 and 39 degrees C than at 33 degrees C; rRNA synthesis was inhibited at 4 and 42 degrees C and was effectively inhibited by actinomycin D. Kinetic experiments indicated that the majority of rRNA synthesis occurred early after extraction of treponemes from infected rabbit testicular tissue. Polyacrylamide gel profiles demonstrated the capacity of virulent T. pallidum to synthesize and process RNA to 23s, 16s, and 4 to 5s classes. Although motility of T. pallidum appeared unaffected during longer periods of incubation, pulselabeling experiments confirmed significant reductions in the rate of rRNA synthesis. When the effect of various environmental conditions upon rRNA synthesis was investigated, optimal synthesis was found to occur in an atmosphere of 20% oxygen whereas virtually no synthesis was observed under anaerobic or low-oxygen conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Microassay for immunoglobulin G antibodies to Treponema pallidum with radioiodinated protein A from staphylococcus aureus: immunoglobulin G response in experimental syphilis in rabbits.

Radioiodinated staphylococcal protein A (SpA) was used to detect the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response to Treponema pallidum in experimental syphilis. This solid-phase assay is based on the principle that SpA binds avidly to the Fc portion of mammalian IgG. The optimal number of organisms for detection of antibody was 10(5) per microwell. Of eight fixatives, 10% ethanol gave an optimum immune binding ratio of infected to normal rabbit serus at a 1:100 serum dilution. Kinetic studies demonstrated maximum binding and the highest immune binding ratio (15:1) with a 60-min incubation each for antibody and (125)I-SpA, respectively. The IgG response in rabbits intratesticularly infected with live T. pallidum and bled at -1, 9, 30, 90, 180, and 480 days was detected first at 9 days, reached a peak at 30 days, and remained elevated for 480 days. Absorption studies with an extract of T. phagedenis biotype reiterii demonstrated that 65 to 85% of the total antitreponemal IgG response was specific for T. pallidum throughout the course of infection. The microassay was quantitative and detected less than 2 ng of antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Radiolabeling of Treponema pallidum (Nichols virulent strain) in vitro with precursors for protein and RNA biosynthesis.

We observed uptake of [U-14C]serine, U-14C-labeled amino acid hydrolysates, and [2-14C]uracil by virulent Treponema pallidum in vitro for at least 96 h. No uptake of [2-14C]thymine, [1-14C]pyruvate, [U-14C]pyruvate, and [2-14C]uridine was detected. Treponemal protein and RNA biosynthetic activity was identified by erythromycin inhibition of amino acid and uracil uptake. Radioactivity due to uptake of radiolabeled amino acids by residual testicular cells in the cultures remained at background levels regardless of the presence or absence of cycloheximide. Accumulation of the radiolabeled substrates by T. pallidum proceeded at a linear rate for 48 to 96 h during incubation in vitro. The longevity of substrate uptake using the system of incubation described will facilitate future studies on the metabolism of the microorganism to help determine essential growth factors and environmental conditions for multiplication of T. pallidum in vitro.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1978

Mucopolysaccharide material resulting from the interaction of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) with cultured mammalian cells.

During incubation of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) with cultured mammlian cells derived from normal rabbit testes (NRT), an amorphous material accumulated at the surface of the cultured cells. This material was randomly distributed on all tissue cells within the culture chambers. The amount of amorphous material was dependent on the treponemal inocula. With 3 x 10(8) organisms per ml, this material was readily apparent within 2 days; with 4 x 10(7) organisms per ml, this material was detectable within 4 to 5 days; with lower inocula, the accumulation of amorphous material was far less apparent. Deposition of this surface-associated material required attachment of treponemes to the cultured cells, and the amount deposited was related to the number of treponemes attached per cell. This amorphous material was not detected when NRT cells were incubated with preparations of T. pallidum that were heat or air inactivated. In addition, the accumulaton of amorphous material was not due to a soluble component from host testicular tissue or to a soluble component developing during treponemal infection. This was demonstrated by the inability of membrane filtered preparations of T. pallidum to induce the deposition of amorphous material at the surface of the cultured cells. The nature of this material appeared to be acidic mucopolysaccharide as indicated by its metachromatic staining properties, its stainability with ruthenium red, and its partial degradation by bovine and streptomyces hyaluronidase. This amorphous material that accumulated in vitro at the surface of cultured cells may be similar to the mucoid material that accumulates in vivo during syphilitic infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Influence of oxygen tension, sulfhydryl compounds, and serum on the motility and virulence of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) in a cell-free system.

The motility and virulence of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) were monitored during incubation in a modified tissue culture medium to study the effects of oxygen tension and medium composition on survival of the organism. A basal medium of Eagle minimal essential medium with 50% fresh, heat-inactivated normal rabbit serum was used inasmuch as better survival occurred with 50% normal rabbit serum than with lower concentrations. Addition of 0.5 to 2.0 mM dithiothreitol or 2.0 mM dithioerythritol to the basal medium led to significantly longer retention of T. pallidum viability in the presence of 3% oxygen than under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The results of this investigation lend support to the classification of T. pallidum as a microaerophilic organism and provide direction for the design of potentially successful culture systems, with or without tissue culture cells.

Blood↗
PubMed1979

Capacity of virulent Treponema pallidum (Nichols) for deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis.

Treponema pallidum (Nichols) was extracted from infected rabbit tissue, and cell lysates were prepared for monitoring thymidine kinase and deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase activities. No thymidine kinase could be demonstrated in preparations of T. pallidum or the cultivable T. phagedenis biotype Reiter. Significant levels of deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase were detected in both treponemal samples. Interestingly, comparisons of polymerase activity among a spectrum of bacterial genera revealed a direct correlation between enzyme concentrations and estimated generation time. Incorporation of [3H]uridine and [3H]thymidine into macromolecules by intact T. pallidum and the Reiter treponeme was examined. Selective ribonuclease-deoxyribonuclease digestion and cesium chloride gradient banding demonstrated that T. pallidum, independent of the host, and T. phagedenis were capable of synthesizing deoxyribonucleic acid only from the [3H]-uridine precursor.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed1979

Surface mucopolysaccharides of Treponema pallidum.

The viscous mucoid fluid that accumulates within syphilitic lesions may be due to breakdown of host tissue during infection, or may be synthesized by Treponema pallidum. Experiments were performed to investigate the acidic mucopolysaccharides that occur at the surface of T. pallidum (Nichols strain). These mucopolysaccharides were demonstrated by reaction with acidified bovine serum albumin and by agglutination with wheat germ agglutinin and soybean agglutinin. The polycations ruthenium red and toluidine blue influenced treponemal survival. Concentrations of both compounds at 200 mug/ml inhibited survival, whereas concentrations at 0.1mug/ml enhanced survival. The mucopolysaccharide concentration within the mucoid fluid that accumulates during intratesticular infection was determined by reaction with acidified bovine serum albumin; it ranged from 10,000 mug/ml to less than 8 mug/ml. The addition of this mucoid fluid to treponemal suspensions resulted in differing effects on T. pallidum survival. Some preparations were inhibitory, and others were stimulatory. Commercial preparations of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate at 400, 200, 100, and 50 mug/ml were detrimental to treponemal survival. The organisms exhibited pronounced clumping in the presence of the higher concentrations of hyaluronic acid. These clumps of treponemes were comprised of mucopolysaccharides as shown by acidified bovine serum albumin and toluidine blue reactions and by hyaluronidase degradation. Results are discussed in terms of the derivation and potential role of acidic mucopolysaccharides at the surface of T. pallidum.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Relationship of Treponema pallidum to acidic mucopolysaccharides.

Attempts were made to relate Treponema pallidum to the acidic mucopolysaccharides that occur in vivo within host ground substance and in vitro on the surface of cultured testicular cells. Infected testicular tissue was fixed and processed for transmission electron microscopy in the presence of ruthenium red. The use of this inorganic dye demonstrated the large quantity of mucopolysaccharide within testicular tissue and the intimate association of treponemes with this material. Wheat germ agglutinin and soybean agglutinin agglutinated freshly harvested trypsinized testicular cells and trypsinized cultured cells derived from normal rabbit testes (NRT). When stained with toluidine blue, both cell preparations were metachromatic. Prior treatment of cultured NRT cells with hyaluronidase slightly decreased their sensitivity to agglutination by wheat germ agglutinin and soybean agglutinin. Lectin agglutination, metachromasia, and hyaluronidase susceptibility indicated that freshly harvested testicular cells and NRT cells have surface-associated acidic mucopolysaccharides that are probably hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate. A rabbit erythrocyte "sandwich" technique was devised to show that hyaluronidase removed wheat germ agglutinin receptors from the cultured NRT cells. Prior incubation of NRT cells with hyaluronidase, followed by the addition of T. pallidum, resulted in a reduction in numbers of treponemes attached to the NRT cells. The attachment of T. pallidum appears to be mediated through the acidic mucopolysaccharides on the surface of NRT cells. The findings are discussed in terms of the importance of host ground substance mucopolysaccharide to the syphilitic infective process.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Mucopolysaccharidase of Treponema pallidum.

Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) exhibited mucopolysaccharidase activity. Acidic mucopolysaccharides were broken down more rapidly by viable treponemes than by heat-inactivated treponemes or membrane filtrates of treponemal suspensions. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion demonstrated the occurrence of antibodies to the hyaluronidase-like enzyme within syphilitic sera. After intratesticular inoculation of 2 x 10(7) to 6 x 10(7) treponemes, these anti-mucopolysaccharidase antibodies were detected between 9 and 35 days postinoculation. In addition, acidic mucopolysaccharides were present in the serum of infected animals 9 and 16 days postinoculation. Immune serum that contained antibodies to the mucopolysaccharidase restricted treponemal breakdown of acidic mucopolysaccharides. It has been previously demonstrated that immune rabbit serum contains a factor that blocks attachment of T. pallidum (Nichols strain) to cultured mammalian cells. This factor was effectively absorbed by prior incubation with bovine hyaluronidase. It is postulated that T. pallidum attaches to acidic mucopolysaccharides on the surface of cultured cells through the mucopolysaccharidase enzyme at the surface of the organisms. These findings are discussed in terms of the histopathogenesis of T. pallidum with applications to the healing immune response.

Glycosaminoglycans↗
PubMed1979

Glucose incorporation by Treponema pallidum.

Treponema pallidum incorporated glucose into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable material. The amount of incorporation was proportional to the number of treponemes and was estimated to equal 3% of the glucose oxidized.

Carbohydrates↗
PubMed1979

Pyruvate oxidation by Treponema pallidum.

Cell-free extracts of Treponema pallidum catalyzed the decarboxylation of pyruvate. This activity was suppressed at low O2 tensions and appeared to be coenzyme A independent. Pyruvate decarboxylation was inorganic phosphate dependent, and evidence suggested that acetyl phosphate was a product. Oxygen was consumed, and data indicated that H2O2 was produced. These results indicated that the overall oxidation of pyruvate was: pyruvate + O2 + inorganic phosphate leads to CO2 + acetyl phosphate + H2O2. Phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase activities were also observed in the cell-free extracts and could catalyze formation of acetyl coenzyme A and adenosine 5'-triphosphate, respectively, from acetyl phosphate.

Acetate Kinase↗
PubMed1979

Inability of immune cells treated with anti-thymocyte serum to confer on hamsters resistance to cutaneous infection with Treponema pertenue.

The mechanism by which hamsters acquire resistance to yaws or frambesia is poorly understood. This investigation has shown that immune lymphoid cells (spleen and lymph node) could confer on hamsters resistance to infection with Treponema pertenue. Treatment of these immune cells with a specific antithymocyte serum (ATS) inhibited the transfer of resistance. Twenty-one days after infection, recipients of immune cells treated with ATS had cutaneous lesions, in contrast to recipients of immune cells treated with normal rabbit serum. Treatment of immune cells with ATS, however, did not completely abolish resistance to treponemal infection. The weight and number of treponemes in the lymph nodes of recipients were significantly lower than those infused with normal cells treated with ATS or normal rabbit serum. The specificity of the ATS was demonstrated by its failure to inhibit functional antibody-producing cells and its high cytotoxic activity for thymocytes. These results present direct evidence that ATS-sensitive cells are involved in resistance to frambesial infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Serotypes of beta-hemolytic Treponema hyodysenteriae.

Cultures form 13 isolates of pathogenic, beta-hemolytic Treponema hyodysenteriae from 11 geographically separate outbreaks and 2 experimentally induced cases of swine dysentery were lyophilized and extracted with hot phenol-water. The resulting water phases were examined serologically with antisera produced in rabbits against whole-cell bacterins of the 13 isolates for evidence of antigenic classes within the species. Water-phase antigens gave precipitin reactions with homologous antisera. Results from cross-testing of each water phase with each antiserum showed four serologically distinct groups among the isolants examined. Based on precipitin reactions in agarose gel, four serotypes of pathogenic, beta-hemolytic T. hyodysenteriae are proposed.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1979

Macrophages in immunity to syphilis: suppressive effect of concurrent infection with Mycobacterium bovis BCG on the development of syphilitic lesions and growth of Treponema pallidum in tuberculin-positive rabbits.

Paired groups of male rabbits were challenged with Treponema pallidum and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. One group had been sensitized to BCG by inoculation 3 weeks before challenge. All animals were challenged intradermally at multiple sites with T. pallidum alone, BCG alone, and both organisms into the same sites. The resulting lesions were followed clinically and histologically. BCG lesions enlarged more rapidly in sensitized rabbits, but they were otherwise no different from those in the controls. T. pallidum lesions enlarged and regressed simultaneously in both groups, but in the BCG-sensitized animals they became twice as large as those in the unsensitized rabbits. Mixed BCG-T. pallidum lesions showed the greatest differences in the two groups of animals. Like the pure BCG lesions, they enlarged more rapidly in the sensitized rabbits but began to recede after 1 week. The corresponding lesions in the controls enlarged more slowly and reached their maximum size after 3 weeks when the receding lesions in the sensitized animals were much smaller. The most marked histological-histochemical difference between the two groups of animals was in the number and activation of macrophages. These cells were more numerous in the mixed lesions of BCG-sensitized animals than in similar lesions of the controls and more activated as determined by beta-galactosidase staining. Although sparsely distributed, activated macrophages were more numerous in the pur T. pallidum lesions of sensitized animals than in those of control animals. Silver-stained sections revealed fewer treponemes in mixed lesions of sensitized animals than in the mixed lesions of control animals. Quantitation of treponemes in pure T. pallidum versus mixed lesions was determined in two groups of rabbits challenged intratesticularly. The total number of treponemes per testis in the mixed lesions of BCG-sensitized rabbits was significantly less than the number in the mixed lesions of control animals, and also less than the number in pure T. pallidum lesions of both groups of animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Pathogenic synergism between Treponema hyodysenteriae and other selected anaerobes in gnotobiotic pigs.

Gnotobiotic pigs were orally exposed to various anaerobes at 6 to 9 days of age and similarly inoculated with Treponema hyodysenteriae B204 3 to 6 days later. Watery diarrhea and fecal excretion of large quantities of mucus and some fibrin clots were observed 4 to 20 days after inoculation with B204 if other anaerobes were present. Colonic lesions characteristic of swine dysentery were observed when B204 was present with Fusobacterium necrophorum, three strains of Bacteroides vulgatus, a Clostridium species, and Listeria denitrificans individually and when some of these microbes were present in various combinations, but not when B204 was present alone. These results are consistent with the conclusion that T. hyodysenteriae is the primary pathogen in the etiology of swine dysentery and that the presence of one or more other anaerobes is a prerequisite for expression of pathogenicity of T. hyodysenteriae. This prerequisite can be met by a variety of anaerobes.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1979

Surface-associated host proteins on virulent Treponema pallidum.

A surface coat of host serum proteins was detected on virulent Treponema pallidum by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The loosely associated serum proteins could be removed by repeated washings in a protein-free medium. Washed T. pallidum retained the ability to readsorb numerous host proteins from rabbit serum as well as iodinated rabbit or human albumin. In addition, various avidly associated host serum proteins including albumin, alpha(2)-macroglobulin, transferrin, ceruloplasmin, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, and C3 were identified on the outer envelope of washed treponemes by an immunoadsorbent technique with protein A-bearing staphylococcus. Hyaluronidase treatment did not remove the avidly associated host proteins from the surface of washed treponemes, whereas trypsin treatment resulted in decreased levels of agglutination. Electrophoretic patterns of trypsin-treated treponemes showed that treponemal proteins as well as adsorbed host proteins were released concurrently by protease digestion. Reacquisition studies involving alpha(2)-macroglobulin and transferrin suggested the presence of noncompetitive binding sites for serum proteins on the treponemal outer envelope. Finally, differences among the T. pallidum preparations from individual rabbits with respect to incorporation of [(35)S]methionine, extent of agglutination with antisera, and length of time required for removal of avidly associated host proteins by trypsin treatment indicated biological variability among the treponemal populations.

Adsorption↗