BIOMAT Database Logo BIOMAT Database Logo

In Vitro Cultivation of the Syphilis Spirochete Treponema pallidum. 2021

Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.

For over a century, investigation of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the spiral-shaped bacterium that causes syphilis, was hindered by an inability to culture the organism in vitro. A recent breakthrough has enabled continuous in vitro growth of this organism in co-culture with mammalian tissue culture cells. This article contains the protocols needed to culture T. pallidum in the standard laboratory environment. In addition, protocols for growing and maintaining the required tissue culture cells, for generating isogenic strains by limiting dilution, and for quantitating T. pallidum by darkfield microscopy are included. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: In vitro cultivation of Treponema pallidum Basic Protocol 2: Generation of isogenic strains Support Protocol 1: Alternate harvest procedure Support Protocol 2: Culture of Sf1Ep cells Support Protocol 3: Assessment of T. pallidum number and viability.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013144 Spirochaetales An order of slender, flexuous, helically coiled bacteria, with one or more complete turns in the helix. Spirochetes,Spirochete
D013587 Syphilis A contagious venereal disease caused by the spirochete TREPONEMA PALLIDUM. Great Pox
D014208 Treponema A genus of microorganisms of the order SPIROCHAETALES, many of which are pathogenic and parasitic for man and animals.
D014210 Treponema pallidum The causative agent of venereal and non-venereal syphilis as well as yaws.

Related Publications

Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Genetic engineering of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the Syphilis Spirochete.
July 2021, PLoS pathogens,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Complete genome sequence of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete.
July 1998, Science (New York, N.Y.),
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
The binary protein interactome of Treponema pallidum--the syphilis spirochete.
May 2008, PloS one,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
A mgl-like operon in Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete.
October 1996, Gene,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Interaction of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete, with human platelets.
January 2019, PloS one,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Characterization of outer membranes isolated from Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete.
November 1995, Infection and immunity,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Cultivation of pathogenic Treponema pallidum in vitro.
January 1981, Acta microbiologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
The genome sequence of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete: will clinicians benefit?
February 2000, Current opinion in infectious diseases,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete: making a living as a stealth pathogen.
December 2016, Nature reviews. Microbiology,
Diane G Edmondson, and Steven J Norris
Cryo-electron tomography elucidates the molecular architecture of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete.
December 2009, Journal of bacteriology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!