Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1980 Mar 1;151(3):573–586. doi: 10.1084/jem.151.3.573

Molecular characterization of receptor binding proteins and immunogens of virulent Treponema pallidum

PMCID: PMC2185804  PMID: 6987326

Abstract

Receptor binding proteins of Treponema pallidum were identified by incubation of [35S]methionine-labeled, soluble T. pallidum preparations with formaldehyde-fixed HEp-2 cells. Three major treponemal proteins (bands 1--3) that avidly bound to the eucaryotic cell surface were detected by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Brief trypsin treatment of HEp-2 cells before formaldehyde fixation reduced the extent of the interaction of these treponemal macromolecules, which implicated receptor-mediated attachment mechanisms. The presence of unlabeled T. pallidum preparations directly competed with radiolabeled T. pallidum samples for the available HEp-2 cells, which suggested a limiting number of membrane binding sites. Samples of unlabeled avirulent Reiter treponeme did not compete. T. Pallidum immunogens were examined by radioimmunoprecipitation with human and rabbit syphilitic sera. Of interest were the similarities and extent of the humoral response represented by the detection of antigen-antibody complexes against numberous treponemal proteins, including bands 1--3. T. pallidum portein band 1 appeared to be the major antigenic stimulus. Formation of antigen-antibody complexes between 35S-labeled T. pallidum proteins and human syphilitic sera was prevented by unlabeled T. pallidum but not by T. phagedenis preparations, which demonstrated specificity of the reaction. Gel profiles of radioimmunoprecipitation assays using radiolabeled T. pallidum antigens and human syphilitic and yaws sera delineated both the similarities and differences in the humoral response to these two spirochetes. The latter suggested both overlapping and distinguishing antigenic properties between T. pallidum and T. pertenue. Detection in yaws sera of specific antibody against T. pallidum protein bands 1--3 further incriminates the role of these three treponemal proteins as virulence determinants.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (2.0 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alderete J. F., Baseman J. B. Surface-associated host proteins on virulent Treponema pallidum. Infect Immun. 1979 Dec;26(3):1048–1056. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.3.1048-1056.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baseman J. B., Hayes N. S. Anabolic potential of virulent Treponema pallidum. Infect Immun. 1977 Dec;18(3):857–859. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.3.857-859.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baseman J. B., Nichols J. C., Hayes N. C. Virulent Treponema pallidum: aerobe or anaerobe. Infect Immun. 1976 Mar;13(3):704–711. doi: 10.1128/iai.13.3.704-711.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baseman J. B., Nichols J. C., Mogerley S. Capacity of virulent Treponema pallidum (Nichols) for deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. Infect Immun. 1979 Feb;23(2):392–397. doi: 10.1128/iai.23.2.392-397.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Baseman J. B. Summary of the workshop on the biology of Treponema pallidum: cultivation and vaccine development. J Infect Dis. 1977 Aug;136(2):308–311. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.2.308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bishop N. H., Miller J. N. Humoral immunity in experimental syphilis. I. The demonstration of resistance conferred by passive immunization. J Immunol. 1976 Jul;117(1):191–196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bishop N. H., Miller J. N. Humoral immunity in experimental syphilis. II. The relationship of neutralizing factors in immune serum to acquired resistance. J Immunol. 1976 Jul;117(1):197–207. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cannefax G. R. Immunity in syphilis. Br J Vener Dis. 1965 Dec;41(4):260–274. doi: 10.1136/sti.41.4.260. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fieldsteel A. H., Stout J. G., Becker F. A. Comparative behavior of virulent strains of Treponema pallidum and Treponema pertenue in gradient cultures of various mammalian cells. Infect Immun. 1979 May;24(2):337–345. doi: 10.1128/iai.24.2.337-345.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fitzgerald T. J., Johnson R. C., Miller J. N., Sykes J. A. Characterization of the attachment of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) to cultured mammalian cells and the potential relationship of attachment to pathogenicity. Infect Immun. 1977 Nov;18(2):467–478. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.2.467-478.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hayes N. S., Muse K. E., Collier A. M., Baseman J. B. Parasitism by virulent Treponema pallidum of host cell surfaces. Infect Immun. 1977 Jul;17(1):174–186. doi: 10.1128/iai.17.1.174-186.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hu P. C., Collier A. M., Baseman J. B. Surface parasitism by Mycoplasma pneumoniae of respiratory epithelium. J Exp Med. 1977 May 1;145(5):1328–1343. doi: 10.1084/jem.145.5.1328. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kessler S. W. Cell membrane antigen isolation with the staphylococcal protein A-antibody adsorbent. J Immunol. 1976 Nov;117(5 Pt 1):1482–1490. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kono T., Barham F. W. The relationship between the insulin-binding capacity of fat cells and the cellular response to insulin. Studies with intact and trypsin-treated fat cells. J Biol Chem. 1971 Oct 25;246(20):6210–6216. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Levene G. M., Turk J. L., Wright D. J., Grimble A. G. Reduced lymphocyte transformation due to a plasma factor in patients with active syphilis. Lancet. 1969 Aug 2;2(7614):246–247. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90010-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Miao R., Fieldsteel A. H. Genetics of Treponema: relationship between Treponema pallidum and five cultivable treponemes. J Bacteriol. 1978 Jan;133(1):101–107. doi: 10.1128/jb.133.1.101-107.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Miller J. N. Immunity in experimental syphilis. VI. Successful vaccination of rabbits with Treponema pallidum, Nichols strain, attenuated by -irradiation. J Immunol. 1973 May;110(5):1206–1215. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Moore P. M., Hayes E. C., Miller S. E., Wright L. L., Machamer C. E., Zweerink H. J. Measles virus nucleocapsids: large-scale purification and use in radioimmunoassays. Infect Immun. 1978 Jun;20(3):842–846. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.3.842-846.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pavia C. S., Baseman J. B., Folds J. D. Selective response of lymphocytes from Treponema pallidum-infected rabbits to mitogens and Treponema reiteri. Infect Immun. 1977 Feb;15(2):417–422. doi: 10.1128/iai.15.2.417-422.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pavia C. S., Folds J. D., Baseman J. B. Selective in vitro response of thymus-derived lymphocytes from Treponema pallidum-infected rabbits. Infect Immun. 1977 Dec;18(3):603–611. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.3.603-611.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pavis C. S., Folds J. D., Baseman J. B. Cell-mediated immunity during syphilis. Br J Vener Dis. 1978 Jun;54(3):144–150. doi: 10.1136/sti.54.3.144. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Perine P. L., Weiser R. S., Klebanoff S. J. Immunity to syphilis. I. Passive transfer in rabbits with hyperimmune serum. Infect Immun. 1973 Nov;8(5):787–790. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.5.787-790.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Schwab J. H. Suppression of the immune response by microorganisms. Bacteriol Rev. 1975 Jun;39(2):121–143. doi: 10.1128/br.39.2.121-143.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Smith H. Microbial surfaces in relation to pathogenicity. Bacteriol Rev. 1977 Jun;41(2):475–500. doi: 10.1128/br.41.2.475-500.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Ware J. L., Folds J. D., Baseman J. B. Serum of rabbits infected with Treponema pallidum (Nichols) inhibits in vitro transformation of normal rabbit lymphocytes. Cell Immunol. 1979 Feb;42(2):363–372. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(79)90201-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wicher V., Wicher K. In vitro cell response of Treponema pallidum-infected rabbits. II. Inhibition of lymphocyte response to phytohaemagglutinin by serum of T. pallidum-infected rabbits. Clin Exp Immunol. 1977 Sep;29(3):487–495. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES