Abstract
Treponema pallidum strain DAL-1 is a human uncultivable pathogen causing the sexually transmitted disease syphilis. Strain DAL-1 was isolated from the amniotic fluid of a pregnant woman in the secondary stage of syphilis. Here we describe the 1,139,971 bp long genome of T. pallidum strain DAL-1 which was sequenced using two independent sequencing methods (454 pyrosequencing and Illumina). In rabbits, strain DAL-1 replicated better than the T. pallidum strain Nichols. The comparison of the complete DAL-1 genome sequence with the Nichols sequence revealed a list of genetic differences that are potentially responsible for the increased rabbit virulence of the DAL-1 strain.
Highlights
Treponema pallidum is an uncultivable human pathogen causing the sexually transmitted disease, syphilis
The data indicates that pathogenic treponemes are extremely closely related and small genetic changes can result in profound changes in pathogenesis and host range [6]
T. pallidum strain DAL-1 was isolated using intratesticular injection of rabbits with amniotic fluid taken from a 21-year-old African American woman in the secondary stage of syphilis [7]
Summary
Treponema pallidum is an uncultivable human pathogen causing the sexually transmitted disease, syphilis. Three syphilis causing strains of T. pallidum have been completely sequenced including strain Nichols [1], SS14 [2], and Chicago [3]. A number of related treponemes causing yaws including strains Samoa D, CDC-2, Gauthier [4] and T. paraluiscuniculi strain Cuniculi A [5] have been sequenced. The data indicates that pathogenic treponemes are extremely closely related and small genetic changes can result in profound changes in pathogenesis and host range [6]. The accumulation of genomic data provides new insights into the pathogenesis of treponemal diseases and into the evolution of pathogenic treponemes and brings new opportunities for molecular diagnostics of syphilis [6]. The genome sequencing of the DAL-1 strain and its comparison with the Nichols sequence should reveal a list of genetic differences that are potentially responsible for increased rabbit virulence of the DAL-1 strain
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