title: Passage of Treponema pallidium through membrane filters of various pore sizes.
abstract: The passage of Treponema pallidum through commercially available Millipore membrane filters of various pore sizes was examined. No microscopically detectable organisms passed through a filter with a pore diameter of 0.22 mum. As pore size was increased, progressively more organisms passed through. Motile organisms passed through filters to a greater extent than nonmotile ones; however, 22% of the motile and 50% of the nonmotile T. pallidum organisms did not pass through the largest pore diameter tested (14.0 mum). Filtration of T. pallidum suspensions through membrane filters may offer a way of separating the organisms from larger particles of debris which accompany their extraction from rabbit testicular syphilomas.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005374:Filtration; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008722:Methods; D011817:Rabbits; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial