TY - JOUR
T1 - Treponema pallidum in gel microdroplets
T2 - a novel strategy for investigation of treponemal molecular architecture
AU - Cox, D. L.
AU - Akins, D. R.
AU - Porcella, S. F.
AU - Norgard, M. V.
AU - Radolf, J. D.
PY - 1995/3
Y1 - 1995/3
N2 - Controversy exists regarding the constituents and antigenic properties of the Treponema pallidum outer membrane; a major point of contention concerns the cellular location(s) of the spirochaete's lipoprotein immunogens. To address these issues and circumvent problems associated with prior efforts to localize treponemal surface antigens, we developed a novel strategy for investigating T. pallidum molecular architecture. Virulent treponemes were encapsulated in porous agarose beads (gel microdroplets) and then probed in the presence or absence of Triton X‐100. Intact., encapsulated treponemes were not labelled by monospecific antisera directed against four major T. pallidum lipoproteins or a candidate T. pailidum outer membrane protein (TpN50) with C‐terminal sequence homology to Escherichia coli OmpA or by human or rabbit syphilitic serum. Each of these immunologic reagents, however, labelled encapsulated treponemes co‐incubated with detergent. In contrast, antibodies generated against isolated T, pal‐lidum outer membranes labelled intact organisms and the pattern of fluorescence was consistent with the distribution of rare outer membrane proteins visualized by freeze‐fracture electron microscopy. In addition to providing strong evidence that the protein portions of treponemal lipoproteins are located within the periplasmic space, these studies have extended our understanding of the topographical relationships among T. pallidum cell envelope constituents. They also demonstrate the feasibility of generating antibodies against rare outer membrane proteins and detecting them on the surfaces of virulent treponemes.
AB - Controversy exists regarding the constituents and antigenic properties of the Treponema pallidum outer membrane; a major point of contention concerns the cellular location(s) of the spirochaete's lipoprotein immunogens. To address these issues and circumvent problems associated with prior efforts to localize treponemal surface antigens, we developed a novel strategy for investigating T. pallidum molecular architecture. Virulent treponemes were encapsulated in porous agarose beads (gel microdroplets) and then probed in the presence or absence of Triton X‐100. Intact., encapsulated treponemes were not labelled by monospecific antisera directed against four major T. pallidum lipoproteins or a candidate T. pailidum outer membrane protein (TpN50) with C‐terminal sequence homology to Escherichia coli OmpA or by human or rabbit syphilitic serum. Each of these immunologic reagents, however, labelled encapsulated treponemes co‐incubated with detergent. In contrast, antibodies generated against isolated T, pal‐lidum outer membranes labelled intact organisms and the pattern of fluorescence was consistent with the distribution of rare outer membrane proteins visualized by freeze‐fracture electron microscopy. In addition to providing strong evidence that the protein portions of treponemal lipoproteins are located within the periplasmic space, these studies have extended our understanding of the topographical relationships among T. pallidum cell envelope constituents. They also demonstrate the feasibility of generating antibodies against rare outer membrane proteins and detecting them on the surfaces of virulent treponemes.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1995.tb02288.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1995.tb02288.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 7623668
AN - SCOPUS:0028956653
SN - 0950-382X
VL - 15
SP - 1151
EP - 1164
JO - Molecular Microbiology
JF - Molecular Microbiology
IS - 6
ER -