Chronicity of infection with Treponema paraluis-cuniculi in New Zealand white rabbits.

Rf, DiGiacomo; Lukehart, Sheila A.; Talburt, C D; Baker‐Zander, Sharon A.; Giddens, W. E.; Condon, Judy; Brown, Charles W.

doi:10.1136/sti.61.3.156

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…This result is consistent with a comparative genomics study that demonstrated identical gene orders in the genomes of T. pallidum and T. paraluiscuniculi and a genetic identity of Ͼ99% in conserved regions (46). Similar to T. pallidum, infection with T. paraluiscuniculi results in tissue invasion and systemic disease, with treponemes capable of disseminating from the initial site of infection (genitals) to distal sites, including eyelids, nose, lips, paws, and lymph nodes (47,48).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Conservation of the Host-Interacting Proteins Tp0750 and Pallilysin among Treponemes and Restriction of Proteolytic Capacity to Treponema pallidum

et al. 2015

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The spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis, a chronic, sexually transmitted infection characterized by multiple symptomatic and asymptomatic stages. Although several other species in the genus are able to cause or contribute to disease, T. pallidum differs in that it is able to rapidly disseminate via the bloodstream to tissue sites distant from the site of initial infection. It is also the only Treponema species able to cross both the blood-brain and placental barriers. Previously, the T. pallidum proteins, Tp0750 and Tp0751 (also called pallilysin), were shown to degrade host proteins central to blood coagulation and basement membrane integrity, suggesting a role for these proteins in T. pallidum dissemination and tissue invasion. In the present study, we characterized Tp0750 and Tp0751 sequence variation in a diversity of pathogenic and nonpathogenic treponemes. We also determined the proteolytic potential of the orthologs from the less invasive species Treponema denticola and Treponema phagedenis. These analyses showed high levels of sequence similarity among Tp0750 orthologs from pathogenic species. For pallilysin, lower levels of sequence conservation were observed between this protein and orthologs from other treponemes, except for the ortholog from the highly invasive rabbit venereal syphilis-causing Treponema paraluiscuniculi. In vitro host component binding and degradation assays demonstrated that pallilysin and Tp0750 orthologs from the less invasive treponemes tested were not capable of binding or degrading host proteins. The results show that pallilysin and Tp0750 host protein binding and degradative capability is positively correlated with treponemal invasiveness.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Conservation of the Host-Interacting Proteins Tp0750 and Pallilysin among Treponemes and Restriction of Proteolytic Capacity to Treponema pallidum

et al. 2015

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“…This is likely attributed to the low number of animals that were prospectively sampled ( n = 19) and clinically examined. Moreover, the latency stage, a stage where T. pallidum is present in the host organism without causing clinical lesions, is a hallmark of human syphilis and is also reported in rabbits infected with TP eC (DiGiacomo et al, 1985). Due to the close relatedness of TP eC and TP eL, the same can be expected from the latter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High syphilis seropositivity in European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus ), Lower Saxony, Germany

Hisgen

Abel

Hallmaier‐Wacker

et al. 2020

Transbound Emerg Dis

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The lagomorph‐infecting Treponema paraluisleporidarum is a close relative of the human syphilis‐bacterium Treponema pallidum. There is a paucity of information on the epidemiology of hare syphilis and its relationship to the rabbit‐ and human‐infecting treponemes that cause syphilis. In our study, we tested 734 serum samples from European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) collected between 2007 and 2019 in the federal state of Lower Saxony, Germany, for the presence of antibodies against T. paraluisleporidarum. Since T. paraluisleporidarum cross‐reacts with T. pallidum antigen, we used a commercially available T. pallidum‐particle agglutination (TP‐PA) assay to test for the presence of antibodies. A high seropositivity (n = 405/734) was detected. An additional 233 serum samples were retested using a fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test to confirm the results of the TP‐PA assay. Our results show that infection is widespread in Lower Saxony and suggest a horizontal (sexual) transmission mode since adult hares show significantly higher seropositivity than subadults (odds ratio: 0.03 [95% CI 0.02–0.05], p < .0001). No difference was detected based on gender (odds ratio: 0.79 [95% Cl 0.58–1.07], p = .1283). Further studies are warranted to genetically characterize the T. paraluisleporidarum strains that infect wild hares.

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“…Since that time, several papers have described rabbit infections with this organism, occurring both in the wild, as well as among laboratory animals; the pathogen has since been renamed T. paraluiscuniculi (DiGiacomo et al, 1983, 1984, 1985; Smith and Pesetsky, 1967). Rabbit venereal spirochetosis can be sexually transmitted and leads to mucocutaneous lesions of the genitoanal region, which are characterized by erythema, edema and/or crusting ulcers.…”

Section: Genetic Differences Between Human T Pallidum Pathogens Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity in Treponema pallidum: Implications for pathogenesis, evolution and molecular diagnostics of syphilis and yaws

Šmajs

Norris

Weinstock³

2012

Infection, Genetics and Evolution

103

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Pathogenic uncultivable treponemes, similar to syphilis-causing Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum, include T. pallidum ssp. pertenue, T. pallidum ssp. endemicum and Treponema carateum, which cause yaws, bejel and pinta, respectively. Genetic analyses of these pathogens revealed striking similarity among these bacteria and also a high degree of similarity to the rabbit pathogen, T. paraluiscuniculi, a treponeme not infectious to humans. Genome comparisons between pallidum and non-pallidum treponemes revealed genes with potential involvement in human infectivity, whereas comparisons between pallidum and pertenue treponemes identified genes possibly involved in the high invasivity of syphilis treponemes. Genetic variability within syphilis strains is considered as the basis of syphilis molecular epidemiology with potential to detect more virulent strains, whereas genetic variability within a single strain is related to its ability to elude the immune system of the host. Genome analyses also shed light on treponemal evolution and on chromosomal targets for molecular diagnostics of treponemal infections.

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Chronicity of infection with Treponema paraluis-cuniculi in New Zealand white rabbits.

Cited by 8 publications

References 14 publications

Conservation of the Host-Interacting Proteins Tp0750 and Pallilysin among Treponemes and Restriction of Proteolytic Capacity to Treponema pallidum

Conservation of the Host-Interacting Proteins Tp0750 and Pallilysin among Treponemes and Restriction of Proteolytic Capacity to Treponema pallidum

High syphilis seropositivity in European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus ), Lower Saxony, Germany

Genetic diversity in Treponema pallidum: Implications for pathogenesis, evolution and molecular diagnostics of syphilis and yaws

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