Sequence diversity of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum tprK in human syphilis lesions and rabbit-propagated isolates.

ABSTRACT: The tprK gene of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of venereal syphilis, belongs to a 12-member gene family and encodes a protein with a predicted cleavable signal sequence and predicted transmembrane domains. Except for the Nichols type strain, all rabbit-propagated isolates of T. pallidum examined thus far are comprised of mixed populations of organisms with heterogeneous tprK sequences. We show that tprK sequences in treponemes obtained directly from syphilis patients are also heterogeneous. Clustering analysis demonstrates that primary chancre tprK sequences are more likely to cluster within a sample than among samples and that tighter clustering is seen within chancre samples than within rabbit-propagated isolates. Closer analysis of tprK sequences from a rabbit-

SUBMITTER: LaFond RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC219401 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature