Whole Genome Analyses of Treponemes: New Targets for Strain- and Subspecies- Specific Molecular Diagnostics

• Authors: ŠMAJS David; MIKALOVÁ Lenka; ČEJKOVÁ Darina; STROUHAL Michal; ZOBANÍKOVÁ Marie; POSPÍŠILOVÁ Petra; NORRIS Steven J.; WEINSTOCK George M.
• Year of publication: 2011
• Type: Chapter of a book
• MU Faculty or unit: Faculty of Medicine
• Description: The genus Treponema comprises several human uncultivable pathogens including Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TPA, the causative agent of the sexually transmitted syphilis), Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue (TPE, causative agent of yaws), Treponema pallidum subspecies endemicum (TEN, causing endemic syphilis), and Treponema carateum causing pinta. Additionally, the rabbit pathogen Treponema paraluiscuniculi (TPC) is very similar to syphilis treponeme but is not pathogenic to humans. Other pathogenic treponemes (e.g. Treponema denticola and T. vincentii) differ from the others by having considerably larger genomes. Moreover, these treponemes can be cultivated under in vitro conditions. The infections caused by human uncultivable pathogenic treponemes can be classified according to their invasivity, from the most invasive bacterium causing venereal syphilis to Treponema carateum (pinta), which is a non- invasive spirochete causing local dermal lesions. Strains of non-venereal treponemes including Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue and endemicum are considered moderately invasive.

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