Project description:Treponema paraluiscuniculi, the etiologic agent of rabbit venereal syphilis, is morphologically indistinguishable from Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (T. pallidum), the human syphilis treponeme, and induces similar immune responses and histopathologic changes in the infected host. Because of their high degree of relatedness, comparative studies are likely to identify genetic determinants that contribute to pathogenesis or virulence in human syphilis. The tpr (Treponema pallidum repeat) genes are believed to code for potential virulence factors. In this study, we identified 10 tpr homologs in Treponema paraluiscuniculi Cuniculi A strain and determined their sequence architecture. Half of this group of paralogous genes were predicted to be nonfunctional due to the presence of frameshifts and premature stop codons. Furthermore, the immune response against the T. paraluiscuniculi Tpr homologs in long-term-infected rabbits was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and lymphocyte proliferation assay, showing that TprK is the only target of the antibody and T-cell responses during experimental infection and emphasizing the importance of this putative virulence factor in venereal treponematosis.

| S-EPMC523035 | biostudies-literature

Janthinobacterium sp. 78 strain:78

Project description:Janthinobacterium sp. 78 strain:78 Genome sequencing and assembly

| PRJNA442012 | ENA

Genome differences between Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum strain Nichols and T. paraluiscuniculi strain Cuniculi A.

Project description:The genome of Treponema paraluiscuniculi strain Cuniculi A was compared to the genome of the syphilis spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum strain Nichols using DNA microarray hybridization, whole-genome fingerprinting, and DNA sequencing. A DNA microarray of T. pallidum subsp. pallidum Nichols containing all 1,039 predicted open reading frame PCR products was used to identify deletions and major sequence changes in the Cuniculi A genome. Using these approaches, deletions, insertions, and prominent sequence changes were found in 38 gene homologs and six intergenic regions of the Cuniculi A genome when it was compared to the genome of T. pallidum subsp. pallidum Nichols. Most of the observed differences were localized in tpr loci and the vicinity of these loci. In addition, 14 other genes were found to contain frameshift mutations resulting in major changes in protein sequences. Analysis of restriction target sites representing 0.34% of the total genome length and DNA sequencing of three PCR products (0.46% of the total genome length) amplified from Cuniculi A chromosomal regions and comparison to the Nichols genome revealed a sequence similarity of 98.6 to 99.3%. These results are consistent with a close genetic relationship among the T. pallidum strains and subspecies and a strong, but relatively divergent connection between the human and rabbit pathogens.

| S-EPMC2168363 | biostudies-literature

Nocardioides houyundeii strain:78

Project description:Nocardioides houyundeii strain:78 Genome sequencing

| PRJNA427654 | ENA

Treponema ruminis strain:RU1

Project description:Treponema ruminis strain:RU1 Genome sequencing

| PRJNA484859 | ENA

Treponema pedis strain:T3552B

Project description:Treponema pedis strain:T3552B Genome sequencing

| PRJNA485072 | ENA

Treponema phagedenis strain:T320A

Project description:Treponema phagedenis strain:T320A Genome sequencing