A molecular characterization of cross-reactive antigens of Treponema pallidum Nichols and Treponema phagedenis biotype Reiter that are reactive with normal and syphilitic human sera is described. At least 8 common polypeptides, 14 T. pallidum-specific antigens, and 2 T. phagedenis biotype Reiter-specific antigens were identified.

Lysyl tRNA synthetases facilitate amino acylation and play a crucial role in the essential cellular process of translation. They are grouped into two distinct classes (class I and class II). Class I lysyl tRNA synthetase is considered as a drug target for syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum. Comparative genome analysis shows the absence of its sequence homolog in eukaryotes. The structure of ...

Syphilis, a chronic and systemic sexually transmitted infection, is caused by the spirochaete Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. It has the nickname of great imitator in the history of medicine because of its diverse clinical manifestations that occur in different stages of the disease. Shortly after the discovery of causal relationship between syphilitic infection and Treponema pallidum b...

a lipoidal fraction, which, acting as a hapten, combines with the protein of the treponema and stimulates thl? production of antibodies (reagin) which can be measured by the so-called reagin tests. The first treponemal test using T. pallidum was introduced by Nelson and Mayer' in 1949 when they described the Treponema pallidum immobilisation test (TPI). In this test the serum of patients showin...

Two new tprD alleles have been identified in Treponema pallidum: tprD2 is found in 7 of 12 T. pallidum subsp. pallidum isolates and 7 of 8 non-pallidum isolates, and tprD3 is found in one T. pallidum subsp. pertenue isolate. Antibodies against TprD2 are found in persons with syphilis, demonstrating that tprD2 is expressed during infection.

Sonicates from five cultivable treponemes were used as antigens in delayed hypersensitivity tests and macrophage inhibition assays. Immunodiffusion analysis showed that the sonicate comprised two major antigenic components which were not distinguishable in the skin tests. The sonicate antigens elicited significant cell-mediated immunity in guinea-pigs. Treponema refringens biotype Nichols prove...