Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1986 Mar;51(3):957–960. doi: 10.1128/iai.51.3.957-960.1986

Development of increased serum immunoblot reactivity against a 45,000-dalton polypeptide of Treponema pallidum (Nichols) correlates with establishment of chancre immunity in syphilitic rabbits.

R A Strugnell, W F Williams, L Drummond, J S Pedersen, B H Toh, S Faine
PMCID: PMC260993  PMID: 3512444

Abstract

Rabbits developed chancre immunity 5.0 to 7.5 weeks after intradermal infection with 10(3) Treponema pallidum (Nichols). The serological response against T. pallidum antigen during this 2.5-week period was examined by Western immunoblotting. Sera from rabbits infected for 5.0 weeks contained antibodies against 7 of 13 major T. pallidum immunogens, with strongest binding detected against a polypeptide of Mr 47,000. By 7.5 weeks of infection, syphilitic rabbit sera recognized 10 of 13 antigens; the most evident increase in serological reactivity was directed against a polypeptide of Mr 45,000, suggesting that the development of a strong serological response against this polypeptide correlated with the onset of chancre immunity.

Full text

PDF
957

Images in this article

958Image
on p.958
958Image
on p.958

Selected References

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

  1. Baker-Zander S. A., Lukehart S. A. Antigenic cross-reactivity between Treponema pallidum and other pathogenic members of the family Spirochaetaceae. Infect Immun. 1984 Oct;46(1):116–121. doi: 10.1128/iai.46.1.116-121.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baker-Zander S., Sell S. A histopathologic and immunologic study of the course of syphilis in the experimentally infected rabbit. Demonstration of long-lasting cellular immunity. Am J Pathol. 1980 Nov;101(2):387–414. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. 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]
  4. Brause B. D., Qualls S., Roberts R. B. Testicular cultivation of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strains) facilitated by sustained-release steroid administration. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Dec;10(6):937–939. doi: 10.1128/jcm.10.6.937-939.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Graves S., Alden J. Limited protection of rabbits against infection with Treponema pallidum by immune rabbit sera. Br J Vener Dis. 1979 Dec;55(6):399–403. doi: 10.1136/sti.55.6.399. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Graves S. Sequential changes in susceptibility to Treponema pallidum of rabbits previously infected with Treponema paraluis-cuniculi. Br J Vener Dis. 1981 Feb;57(1):11–14. doi: 10.1136/sti.57.1.11. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hanff P. A., Bishop N. H., Miller J. N., Lovett M. A. Humoral immune response in experimental syphilis to polypeptides of Treponema pallidum. J Immunol. 1983 Oct;131(4):1973–1977. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hanff P. A., Fehniger T. E., Miller J. N., Lovett M. A. Humoral immune response in human syphilis to polypeptides of Treponema pallidum. J Immunol. 1982 Sep;129(3):1287–1291. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hawkes R. Identification of concanavalin A-binding proteins after sodium dodecyl sulfate--gel electrophoresis and protein blotting. Anal Biochem. 1982 Jun;123(1):143–146. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(82)90634-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hensel U., Wellensiek H. J., Bhakdi S. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblotting as a serological tool in the diagnosis of syphilitic infections. J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Jan;21(1):82–87. doi: 10.1128/jcm.21.1.82-87.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lukehart S. A., Baker-Zander S. A., Gubish E. R., Jr Identification of Treponema pallidum antigens: comparison with a nonpathogenic treponeme. J Immunol. 1982 Aug;129(2):833–838. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lukehart S. A., Miller J. N. Demonstration of the in vitro phagocytosis of Treponema pallidum by rabbit peritoneal macrophages. J Immunol. 1978 Nov;121(5):2014–2024. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. MAGNUSON H. J., THOMAS E. W., OLANSKY S., KAPLAN B. I., DE MELLO L., CUTLER J. C. Inoculation syphilis in human volunteers. Medicine (Baltimore) 1956 Feb;35(1):33–82. doi: 10.1097/00005792-195602000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Moskophidis M., Müller F. Molecular analysis of immunoglobulins M and G immune response to protein antigens of Treponema pallidum in human syphilis. Infect Immun. 1984 Jan;43(1):127–132. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.1.127-132.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Norgard M. V., Miller J. N. Cloning and expression of Treponema pallidum (Nichols) antigen genes in Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1983 Nov;42(2):435–445. doi: 10.1128/iai.42.2.435-445.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. 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]
  18. Reisner A. H. Gel protein stains: a rapid procedure. Methods Enzymol. 1984;104:439–441. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(84)04110-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Sell S., Baker-Zander S. A., Lloyd R. M. T-cell hyperplasia of lymphoid tissues of rabbits infected with Treponema pallidum: evidence for a vigorous immune response. Sex Transm Dis. 1980 Apr-Jun;7(2):74–84. doi: 10.1097/00007435-198004000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sell S., Baker-Zander S., Powell H. C. Experimental syphilitic orchitis in rabbits: ultrastructural appearance of Treponema pallidum during phagocytosis and dissolution by macrophages in vivo. Lab Invest. 1982 Apr;46(4):355–364. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sepetjian M., Salussola D., Thivolet J. Attempt to protect rabbits against experimental syphilis by passive immunization. Br J Vener Dis. 1973 Aug;49(4):335–337. doi: 10.1136/sti.49.4.335. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Strugnell R. A., Faine S., Graves S. Response of syphilitic rabbits to reinfection with homologous and heterologous Treponema pallidum strains. Infect Immun. 1984 Sep;45(3):561–565. doi: 10.1128/iai.45.3.561-565.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Thornburg R. W., Morrison-Plummer J., Baseman J. B. Monoclonal antibodies to Treponema pallidum: recognition of a major polypeptide antigen. Genitourin Med. 1985 Feb;61(1):1–6. doi: 10.1136/sti.61.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Titus R. G., Weiser R. S. Experimental syphilis in the rabbit: passive transfer of immunity with immunoglobulin G from immune serum. J Infect Dis. 1979 Dec;140(6):904–913. doi: 10.1093/infdis/140.6.904. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Towbin H., Staehelin T., Gordon J. Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: procedure and some applications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Sep;76(9):4350–4354. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.9.4350. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES