Treponema pallidum is a novel pathogen whose physical properties allow it to be highly invasive and evade host defense mechanisms. T. pallidum is a gram-negative spirochete, a helical shaped bacteria, that cannot be cultured on artificial media and must be grown in rabbit testicles. This is one of the main reasons for why little is known anout this pathogen. Recently, its genome of 1.14 Mb was sequenced and analysis of this sequence has given researchers new insights as to how T. pallidum functions.
Restriction Map of T.pallidum genome.
Homepage of T. pallidum Molecular Genetics Group
