title: Unique lipid composition of Treponema pallidum (Nichols virulent strain).
abstract: The lipid composition of Treponema pallidum (Nichols virulent strain) was determined after purification of the organisms from the infected testes of corticosteroid-treated rabbits by differential centrifugation, filtration through Nuclepore membranes, and sedimentation in Hypaque density gradients. The total lipids were comprised of 32.2% neutral lipids, mainly cholesterol, and 67.8% phospholipids consisting of phosphatidylcholine (32.1%), sphingomyelin (14.8%), cardiolipin (13.0%), phosphatidylethanolamine (6.2%), phosphatidylinositol-serine (1.2%), and lysophosphatidylcholine (0.4%). Monoglycosyldiglyceride, a glycolipid comprising 25 to 50% of thetotal lipid of all Treponema previously examined, was not detected. The fatty acid composition was similar but quntitatively distinct from that of the infected testes tissue.
mesh_terms: D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000032:analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000032:analysis; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000032:analysis; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000032:analysis; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000032:analysis* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D002308:Cardiolipins; D006017:Glycolipids; D008055:Lipids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D002784:Cholesterol