Treponema spp., the dominant pathogen in the lesion of bovine digital dermatitis and its characterization in dairy cattle.

This study examined the presence of Treponema in lesions using conventional PCR detection methods and investigated the microbiome by performing high-throughput DNA sequencing. Twenty-nine bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) lesions were collected from 25 dairy farms in South Korea that were tested by PCR amplification using sets of one universal, one genus-specific, and three species specific Treponema PCR primers. Three BDD samples were randomly selected and normal tissue samples were submitted for 16S rRNA sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The dominant phylum present in all tested BDD lesions was Spirochaetes with a mean relative abundance of 46.9 %, and Treponema was the most abundant genus. Spirochaetes abundance was followed by the phyla Tenericutes and Bacteroidetes with 14.1 % and 11.8 % mean abundances, respectively. Co-infecting bacteria from phyla Tenericutes and Bacteroidetes may be involved in the progression of BDD. Bovine digital dermatitis infection is polymicrobial in nature, but Treponema spp. are the main etiologic agents of the disease. In the microbiome results, Treponema pedis had the highest mean relative abundance (20.9 %) in the BDD lesions in this study followed by T. denticola, T. medium, T. lecithinolyricum, Spirochaeta africana, and Sediminispirochaeta bajacalifoniensis. All 29 samples were positive in the genus-specific Treponema PCR results. The species-specific PCR resulted in 75.9 %, 86.2 %, and 69.0 % of samples in groups T. medium/T. vincentii-like, T. phagedenis-like, and T. pedis, respectively. Understanding how these microorganisms mutually interact in the host during certain stages of infection may help in the development of better practices for controlling BDD.

Identification of the Neuroinvasive Pathogen Host Target, LamR, as an Endothelial Receptor for the Treponema pallidum Adhesin Tp0751.

Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis, a human-specific sexually transmitted infection that causes a multistage disease with diverse clinical manifestations. Treponema pallidum undergoes rapid vascular dissemination to penetrate tissue, placental, and blood-brain barriers and gain access to distant tissue sites. The rapidity and extent of T. pallidum dissemination are well documented, but the molecular mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. One protein that has been shown to play a role in treponemal dissemination is Tp0751, a T. pallidum adhesin that interacts with host components found within the vasculature and mediates bacterial adherence to endothelial cells under shear flow conditions. In this study, we further explore the molecular interactions of Tp0751-mediated adhesion to the vascular endothelium. We demonstrate that recombinant Tp0751 adheres to human endothelial cells of macrovascular and microvascular origin, including a cerebral brain microvascular endothelial cell line. Adhesion assays using recombinant Tp0751 N-terminal truncations reveal that endothelial binding is localized to the lipocalin fold-containing domain of the protein. We also confirm this interaction using live T. pallidum and show that spirochete attachment to endothelial monolayers is disrupted by Tp0751-specific antiserum. Further, we identify the 67-kDa laminin receptor (LamR) as an endothelial receptor for Tp0751 using affinity chromatography, coimmunoprecipitation, and plate-based binding methodologies. Notably, LamR has been identified as a receptor for adhesion of other neurotropic invasive bacterial pathogens to brain endothelial cells, including Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, suggesting the existence of a common mechanism for extravasation of invasive extracellular bacterial pathogens.IMPORTANCE Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. The continued incidence of syphilis demonstrates that screening and treatment strategies are not sufficient to curb this infectious disease, and there is currently no vaccine available. Herein we demonstrate that the T. pallidum adhesin Tp0751 interacts with endothelial cells that line the lumen of human blood vessels through the 67-kDa laminin receptor (LamR). Importantly, LamR is also a receptor for meningitis-causing neuroinvasive bacterial pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae Our findings enhance understanding of the Tp0751 adhesin and present the intriguing possibility that the molecular events of Tp0751-mediated treponemal dissemination may mimic the endothelial interaction strategies of other invasive pathogens.

Putative ß-Barrel Outer Membrane Proteins of the Bovine Digital Dermatitis-Associated Treponemes: Identification, Functional Characterization, and Immunogenicity.

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD), an infectious disease of the bovine foot with a predominant treponemal etiology, is a leading cause of lameness in dairy and beef herds worldwide. BDD is poorly responsive to antimicrobial therapy and exhibits a relapsing clinical course; an effective vaccine is therefore urgently sought. Using a reverse vaccinology approach, the present study surveyed the genomes of the three BDD-associated Treponema phylogroups for putative ß-barrel outer membrane proteins and considered their potential as vaccine candidates. Selection criteria included the presence of a signal peptidase I cleavage site, a predicted ß-barrel fold, and cross-phylogroup homology. Four candidate genes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), refolded, and purified. Consistent with their classification as ß-barrel OMPs, circular-dichroism spectroscopy revealed the adoption of a predominantly ß-sheet secondary structure. These recombinant proteins, when screened for their ability to adhere to immobilized extracellular matrix (ECM) components, exhibited a diverse range of ligand specificities. All four proteins specifically and dose dependently adhered to bovine fibrinogen. One recombinant protein was identified as a candidate diagnostic antigen (disease specificity, 75%). Finally, when adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide and administered to BDD-naive calves using a prime-boost vaccination protocol, these proteins were immunogenic, eliciting specific IgG antibodies. In summary, we present the description of four putative treponemal ß-barrel OMPs that exhibit the characteristics of multispecific adhesins. The observed interactions with fibrinogen may be critical to host colonization and it is hypothesized that vaccination-induced antibody blockade of these interactions will impede treponemal virulence and thus be of therapeutic value.

Comparative genomics of the transportome of Ten Treponema species.

Treponema is a diverse bacterial genus, the species of which can be pathogenic, symbiotic, or free living. These treponemes can cause various diseases in humans and other animals, such as periodontal disease, bovine digital dermatitis and animal skin lesions. However, the most important and well-studied disease of treponemes that affects humans is 'syphilis'. This disease is caused by Treponema pallidum subspecie pallidum with 11-12 million new cases around the globe on an annual basis. In this study we analyze the transportome of ten Treponema species, with emphasis on the types of encoded transport proteins and their substrates. Of the ten species examined, two (T. primitia and T. azonutricium) reside as symbionts in the guts of termites; six (T. pallidum, T. paraluiscuniculi, T. pedis, T. denticola, T. putidum and T. brennaborense) are pathogens of either humans or animals, and T. caldarium and T. succinifaciens are avirulent species, the former being thermophilic. All ten species have a repertoire of transport proteins that assists them in residing in their respective ecological niches. For instance, oral pathogens use transport proteins that take up nutrients uniquely present in their ecosystem; they also encode multiple multidrug/macromolecule exporters that protect against antimicrobials and aid in biofilm formation. Proteins of termite gut symbionts convert cellulose into other sugars that can be metabolized by the host. As often observed for pathogens and symbionts, several of these treponemes have reduced genome sizes, and their small genomes correlate with their dependencies on the host. Overall, the transportomes of T. pallidum and other pathogens have a conglomerate of parasitic lifestyle-assisting proteins. For example, a T. pallidum repeat protein (TprK) mediates immune evasion; outer membrane proteins (OMPs) allow nutrient uptake and end product export, and several ABC transporters catalyze sugar uptake, considered pivotal to parasitic lifestyles. Taken together, the results of this study yield new information that may help open new avenues of treponeme research.

Missing pieces of the puzzle to effectively control digital dermatitis.

Since the first report of bovine digital dermatitis (DD) in 1974, there is a large body of the literature published; however, effective prevention and control of the disease remain elusive. Although many aspects of the pathogenesis of DD have been investigated, even some of the most basic questions such as the aetiology of this disease remain under debate. Treponema spp. have been strongly associated with DD lesions and occur in abundance in advanced lesions; however, efforts to induce disease with pure cultures of these organisms have been largely underwhelming and inconsistent. Furthermore, although the disease has been presented for several decades, there is limited scientific evidence regarding effective treatment of DD. Apparent discrepancies between effectiveness in vitro and in vivo have challenged the scientific community to identify new potential treatment options. With no treatment resulting in a 100% cure rate, the current expectation is manageable control, but prospects for the eradication of the disease are unlikely using current approaches. In order to develop more effective approaches to control DD on-farm, there is a critical need for a deeper understanding regarding the causation, ecology, transmission and treatment of this disease. In this article, we attempt to provide insights into specific research needs related to DD in order to assist the industry, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and research sponsors with decision-making and identified research gaps.

A distinct bacterial dysbiosis associated skin inflammation in ovine footrot.

Ovine footrot is a highly prevalent bacterial disease caused by Dichelobacter nodosus and characterised by the separation of the hoof horn from the underlying skin. The role of innate immune molecules and other bacterial communities in the development of footrot lesions remains unclear. This study shows a significant association between the high expression of IL1ß and high D. nodosus load in footrot samples. Investigation of the microbial population identified distinct bacterial populations in the different disease stages and also depending on the level of inflammation. Treponema (34%), Mycoplasma (29%) and Porphyromonas (15%) were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of inflammation in footrot. In contrast, Acinetobacter (25%), Corynebacteria (17%) and Flavobacterium (17%) were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of inflammation in healthy feet. This demonstrates for the first time there is a distinct microbial community associated with footrot and high cytokine expression.

Ovine footrot: new insights into bacterial colonisation.

Ovine footrot is characterised by interdigital dermatitis (ID) and by the separation of the skin and hoof horn (under-running footrot). Dichelobacter nodosus is the essential pathogen causing footrot; the role of other microorganisms in this disease remains unclear. The aims of this study were (i) to investigate the colonisation of D nodosus, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Treponema species in biopsies from the ovine interdigital skin of healthy, ID and footrot-affected feet and (ii) to characterise the virulence of D nodosus strains in those biopsies. Postslaughter biopsy samples (n=241) were collected and analysed by real-time PCR to determine prevalence and load of the different bacterial species. The highest prevalence and load of D nodosus were found on feet with ID. The vast majority of samples contained virulent D nodosus and some samples contained both virulent and benign D nodosus Notably, the more pathogenic subspecies of F necrophorum was found in samples from UK sheep. Our findings provide further insights into the role bacterial colonisation may play in the early stage of ID and in the progression towards footrot.

Genetic analysis of a Treponema phagedenis locus encoding antigenic lipoproteins with potential for antigenic variation.

Digital dermatitis (DD) is a painful and debilitating claw disease in cattle. Spirochetes of the genus Treponema are found in high numbers in the lesions and are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis. The occurrence of Treponema phagedenis in DD lesions, especially near the interface of healthy and diseased tissue, suggests that this species contributes to the development and/or progression of the lesions. In this study we characterized a genetic locus in T. phagedenis that contains coding regions for three antigenic proteins, PrrA, VpsA, and VpsB. Comparative analysis of homologous loci from fifteen strains suggests that prrA may be transposed into or out of this locus. Alterations in the copy number of TA repeats within the putative promoter region may regulate VpsA/B expression. The vpsA and prrA genes occur in allelic variants in different T. phagedenis isolates and may provide one explanation for the antigenic variation observed in T. phagedenis DD isolates.

Conservation of the Host-Interacting Proteins Tp0750 and Pallilysin among Treponemes and Restriction of Proteolytic Capacity to Treponema pallidum.

The spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis, a chronic, sexually transmitted infection characterized by multiple symptomatic and asymptomatic stages. Although several other species in the genus are able to cause or contribute to disease, T. pallidum differs in that it is able to rapidly disseminate via the bloodstream to tissue sites distant from the site of initial infection. It is also the only Treponema species able to cross both the blood-brain and placental barriers. Previously, the T. pallidum proteins, Tp0750 and Tp0751 (also called pallilysin), were shown to degrade host proteins central to blood coagulation and basement membrane integrity, suggesting a role for these proteins in T. pallidum dissemination and tissue invasion. In the present study, we characterized Tp0750 and Tp0751 sequence variation in a diversity of pathogenic and nonpathogenic treponemes. We also determined the proteolytic potential of the orthologs from the less invasive species Treponema denticola and Treponema phagedenis. These analyses showed high levels of sequence similarity among Tp0750 orthologs from pathogenic species. For pallilysin, lower levels of sequence conservation were observed between this protein and orthologs from other treponemes, except for the ortholog from the highly invasive rabbit venereal syphilis-causing Treponema paraluiscuniculi. In vitro host component binding and degradation assays demonstrated that pallilysin and Tp0750 orthologs from the less invasive treponemes tested were not capable of binding or degrading host proteins. The results show that pallilysin and Tp0750 host protein binding and degradative capability is positively correlated with treponemal invasiveness.

Pinta: Latin America's Forgotten Disease?

Pinta is a neglected, chronic skin disease that was first described in the sixteenth century in Mexico. The World Health Organization lists 15 countries in Latin America where pinta was previously endemic. However, the current prevalence of pinta is unknown due to the lack of surveillance data. The etiological agent of pinta, Treponema carateum, cannot be distinguished morphologically or serologically from the not-yet-cultivable Treponema pallidum subspecies that cause venereal syphilis, yaws, and bejel. Although genomic sequencing has enabled the development of molecular techniques to differentiate the T. pallidum subspecies, comparable information is not available for T. carateum. Because of the influx of migrants and refugees from Latin America, U.S. physicians should consider pinta in the differential diagnosis of skin diseases in children and adolescents who come from areas where pinta was previously endemic and have a positive reaction in serological tests for syphilis. All stages of pinta are treatable with a single intramuscular injection of penicillin.

Prevalence of antibodies against transfusion-transmissible infections (TTI) in blood donors from the Colombian eastern region.

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of antibodies against five transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) in blood donors from one of the most important blood banks in Colombia. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive and case control study was performed from a database of Higuera-Escalante blood bank, for a period of a year. Serum was used for donor screening. Surface antigens for hepatitis B (HbsAg), anti-hepatitis C antibodies, Chagas disease, syphilis, and HIV were identified. Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA, Abbott Diagnostics) was performed. RESULTS: From 41,575 total donors analyzed, 1,226 were reactive for any of the infectious markers (total prevalence of 2.95%). The prevalence of specific infections was: Chagas disease 0.49%, HbsAg 0.21%, HCV 0.45%, HIV 0.12%, and syphilis 1.68%. Reactivity was more frequent in men (n = 785, 64%) with a mean age of 36.35 years. HIV was present in the youngest donors with a mean age of 26.5 years (IC 95%: 23.6 - 27.6); on the other hand, Chagas disease was found in the oldest donor population, with a mean age of 40 years (IC 95%: 39.1 - 41.3). CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the prevalence of circulating antibodies against transfusion transmissible infections allows us to establish an epidemiological profile of donors inhabiting the geographic catchment area of our blood bank. Total prevalence in this study was 2.95% for any of the five markers. Syphilis prevalence demonstrates its high distribution within the blood donor population of our country, although this result could be influenced by the high rate of false-reactive test. Chagas disease is endemic in Santander, Colombia, which correlates with the results obtained in this study.

Periodontal disease bacteria specific to tonsil in IgA nephropathy patients predicts the remission by the treatment.

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin (Ig)A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis in the world. Some bacteria were reported to be the candidate of the antigen or the pathogenesis of IgAN, but systematic analysis of bacterial flora in tonsil with IgAN has not been reported. Moreover, these bacteria specific to IgAN might be candidate for the indicator which can predict the remission of IgAN treated by the combination of tonsillectomy and steroid pulse. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We made a comprehensive analysis of tonsil flora in 68 IgAN patients and 28 control patients using Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis methods. We also analyzed the relationship between several bacteria specific to the IgAN and the prognosis of the IgAN. Treponema sp. were identified in 24% IgAN patients, while in 7% control patients (P = 0.062). Haemophilus segnis were detected in 53% IgAN patients, while in 25% control patients (P = 0.012). Campylobacter rectus were identified in 49% IgAN patients, while in 14% control patients (P = 0.002). Multiple Cox proportional-hazards model revealed that Treponema sp. or Campylobactor rectus are significant for the remission of proteinuria (Hazard ratio 2.35, p = 0.019). There was significant difference in remission rates between IgAN patients with Treponema sp. and those without the bacterium (p = 0.046), and in remission rates between IgAN patients with Campylobacter rectus and those without the bacterium (p = 0.037) by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Those bacteria are well known to be related with the periodontal disease. Periodontal bacteria has known to cause immune reaction and many diseases, and also might cause IgA nephropathy. CONCLUSION: This insight into IgAN might be useful for diagnosis of the IgAN patients and the decision of treatment of IgAN.

Whole genome sequence of the Treponema Fribourg-Blanc: unspecified simian isolate is highly similar to the yaws subspecies.

BACKGROUND: Unclassified simian strain Treponema Fribourg-Blanc was isolated in 1966 from baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in West Africa. This strain was morphologically indistinguishable from T. pallidum ssp. pallidum or ssp. pertenue strains, and it was shown to cause human infections. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To precisely define genetic differences between Treponema Fribourg-Blanc (unclassified simian isolate, FB) and T. pallidum ssp. pertenue strains (TPE), a high quality sequence of the whole Fribourg-Blanc genome was determined with 454-pyrosequencing and Illumina sequencing platforms. Combined average coverage of both methods was greater than 500×. Restriction target sites (n = 1,773), identified in silico, of selected restriction enzymes within the Fribourg-Blanc genome were verified experimentally and no discrepancies were found. When compared to the other three sequenced TPE genomes (Samoa D, CDC-2, Gauthier), no major genome rearrangements were found. The Fribourg-Blanc genome clustered with other TPE strains (especially with the TPE CDC-2 strain), while T. pallidum ssp. pallidum strains clustered separately as well as the genome of T. paraluiscuniculi strain Cuniculi A. Within coding regions, 6 deletions, 5 insertions and 117 substitutions differentiated Fribourg-Blanc from other TPE genomes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The Fribourg-Blanc genome showed similar genetic characteristics as other TPE strains. Therefore, we propose to rename the unclassified simian isolate to Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue strain Fribourg-Blanc. Since the Fribourg-Blanc strain was shown to cause experimental infection in human hosts, non-human primates could serve as possible reservoirs of TPE strains. This could considerably complicate recent efforts to eradicate yaws. Genetic differences specific for Fribourg-Blanc could then contribute for identification of cases of animal-derived yaws infections.

Bovine digital dermatitis: possible pathogenic consortium consisting of Dichelobacter nodosus and multiple Treponema species.

Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is a multifactorial disease involving at least one or more treponemal species. Virulent phylotypes of Treponema and other infectious agents contributing to disease etiology still remain to be identified. This study addressed these questions by analyzing the prevalence and distribution of seventeen phylotypes of Treponema in DD lesions by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) applying species/phylotype-specific oligonucleotide probes. In situ hybridization for Dichelobacter nodosus, the cause of ovine footrot, was additionally performed. We sampled 90 biopsies of DD lesions originating from one Norwegian and six Danish dairy herds, and 24 tissue samples of healthy skin. All lesions revealed intermingled infections with multiple Treponema phylotypes (mean>7). In six herds, the mean number of phylotypes identified varied between 12 and 15. D. nodosus was present in forty-nine (51%) of the lesions and in three of the apparently healthy skin samples. Two "healthy" samples also contained Treponema spp. and D. nodosus, and were histopathologically categorized as subclinical DD. Another eighteen of the "healthy" skin samples showed serious epidermal hyperplasia but were not colonized by bacteria while only four samples were found normal. We hypothesise that external noxious stimuli allow D. nodosus to break down the epidermal barrier creating a suitable environment for the secondary invaders, Treponema species, which gradually take over the infection site. The variety and different distribution of treponemes in the DD lesions observed in this study, suggests that most of the Treponema phylotypes have the potential to be pathogenic.

Alzheimer's disease - a neurospirochetosis. Analysis of the evidence following Koch's and Hill's criteria.

It is established that chronic spirochetal infection can cause slowly progressive dementia, brain atrophy and amyloid deposition in late neurosyphilis. Recently it has been suggested that various types of spirochetes, in an analogous way to Treponema pallidum, could cause dementia and may be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we review all data available in the literature on the detection of spirochetes in AD and critically analyze the association and causal relationship between spirochetes and AD following established criteria of Koch and Hill. The results show a statistically significant association between spirochetes and AD (P = 1.5 × 10-17, OR = 20, 95% CI = 8-60, N = 247). When neutral techniques recognizing all types of spirochetes were used, or the highly prevalent periodontal pathogen Treponemas were analyzed, spirochetes were observed in the brain in more than 90% of AD cases. Borrelia burgdorferi was detected in the brain in 25.3% of AD cases analyzed and was 13 times more frequent in AD compared to controls. Periodontal pathogen Treponemas (T. pectinovorum, T. amylovorum, T. lecithinolyticum, T. maltophilum, T. medium, T. socranskii) and Borrelia burgdorferi were detected using species specific PCR and antibodies. Importantly, co-infection with several spirochetes occurs in AD. The pathological and biological hallmarks of AD were reproduced in vitro by exposure of mammalian cells to spirochetes. The analysis of reviewed data following Koch's and Hill's postulates shows a probable causal relationship between neurospirochetosis and AD. Persisting inflammation and amyloid deposition initiated and sustained by chronic spirochetal infection form together with the various hypotheses suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of AD a comprehensive entity. As suggested by Hill, once the probability of a causal relationship is established prompt action is needed. Support and attention should be given to this field of AD research. Spirochetal infection occurs years or decades before the manifestation of dementia. As adequate antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapies are available, as in syphilis, one might prevent and eradicate dementia.

Association between bovine digital dermatitis treponemes and a range of 'non-healing' bovine hoof disorders.

This study describes the association between bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) treponemes and three 'non-healing' bovine hoof horn lesions, namely, 'toe necrosis' (TN), 'non-healing white line disease' (nhWLD) and 'non-healing sole ulcer' (nhSU), which are disorders that involve penetration through the horn capsule to involve the corium. In this study, these non-healing disorders (n=44) were identified as foot lesions that exhibited a topical granular appearance, exuded a typical pungent smell, were severely painful to the animal involved, and typically originated from farms where BDD is endemic. Given the similarities between these 'non-healing' lesions and BDD, the authors subjected samples of diseased tissue to PCR assays to detect the presence of DNA of BDD treponemes. All the three characterised BDD treponeme groups were identified as present together in 84.2, 81.3 and 55.6 per cent of samples of TN (n=19), nhWLD (n=16) and nhSU (n=9), respectively. In contrast, healthy control horn samples from similar sites (n=16) were PCR-negative for the BDD treponemes. Hence, these non-healing hoof lesions were strongly associated with BDD treponemes. Samples from typical heel horn erosions (n=9) were also subjected to BDD treponeme PCR assays and no association could be identified between the BDD treponemes and this horn manifestation.

The major outer membrane protein of a periodontopathogen induces IFN-beta and IFN-stimulated genes in monocytes via lipid raft and TANK-binding kinase 1/IFN regulatory factor-3.

Surface molecules of pathogens play an important role in stimulating host immune responses. Elucidation of the signaling pathways activated by critical surface molecules in host cells provides insight into the molecular pathogenesis resulting from bacteria-host interactions. MspTL is the most abundant outer membrane protein of Treponema lecithinolyticum, which is associated with periodontitis, and induces expression of a variety of proinflammatory factors. Although bacteria and bacterial components like LPS and flagellin are known to induce IFN-beta, induction by bacterial surface proteins has not been reported. In the present study, we investigated MspTL-mediated activation of signaling pathways stimulating up-regulation of IFN-beta and IFN-stimulated genes in a human monocytic cell line, THP-1 cells, and primary cultured human gingival fibroblasts. MspTL treatment of the cells induced IFN-beta and the IFN-stimulated genes IFN-gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and RANTES. A neutralizing anti-IFN-beta Ab significantly reduced the expression of IP-10 and RANTES, as well as STAT-1 activation, which was also induced by MspTL. Experiments using specific small interfering RNA showed that MspTL activated TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), but not inducible IkappaB kinase (IKKi). MspTL also induced dimerization of IFN regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3) and translocation into the nucleus. The lipid rapid-disrupting agents methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, nystatin, and filipin inhibited the MspTL internalization and cellular responses, demonstrating that lipid raft activation was a prerequisite for MspTL cellular signaling. Our results demonstrate that MspTL, the major outer protein of T. lecithinolyticum, induced IFN-beta expression and subsequent up-regulation of IP-10 and RANTES via TBK1/IRF-3/STAT-1 signaling secondary to lipid raft activation.

Association of Treponema spp. with canine periodontitis.

To evaluate the association of oral Treponema (T.) spp. with severity of canine periodontitis, subgingival plaque samples of dogs of various breeds undergoing surgery were investigated. A wide range of oral Treponema spp. was analysed by a molecular and culture-independent approach applying DNA-DNA dot blot hybridization analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization using Treponema specific oligonucleotide probes specific for phylogenetic groups I-VII of oral treponemes as well as probes specific for T. socranskii and T. denticola. To assess the periodontal status of affected dogs clinical parameters were measured and the periodontal status was classified from grade 0 (physiological periodont) to 3 (severe periodontitis). The periodontal status correlated significantly with an increasing concentration of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC, r=0.854) determined with a Halimeter, indicating a positive correlation between the presence of VSC-producing bacteria and periodontitis. In this study Treponema spp. of phylogenetic groups III, V-VII were not detected in any sample, whereas T. denticola-like treponemes were found only in 2 of 51 animals. However, treponemes belonging to phylogenetic groups I, II and IV of oral treponemes or T. socranskii were found in up to 64.84% of the dogs. The detection rate of Treponema spp. was significantly associated with an increased periodontal status. Treponemes present in periodontal lesions were also visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization of gingival biopsies showing Treponema spp. not only in the microbial biofilm but also within the gingival tissue. The data presented here indicate that oral Treponema spp. are associated with canine periodontitis. Similar to human periodontitis, treponemes of groups I, II and IV and T. socranskii were found more frequently the higher the degree of periodontitis was.

Possible requirement of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 for invasion of gingival epithelial cells by Treponema medium.

Oral treponemes are members of the spirochete family of bacteria associated with periodontal diseases. In the present study, we demonstrate that intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC) contributed to the invasion of Treponema medium, a medium-sized oral Treponema, into those cells. The quantity of T. medium in HGEC was found to peak at 2 h after inoculation and then decreased gradually. Immunofluorescence microscopy findings showed that the bacteria were colocalized with ICAM-1 on HGEC. Furthermore, knockdown of ICAM-1 in HGEC resulted in inhibition of T. medium invasion by RNA interference, whereas that of Toll-like receptor 2 did not. These results suggest that ICAM-1 may be required for the invasion of T. medium into HGEC, and they indicate that the molecule plays a principal role in the primary stages of the development and progression of chronic periodontitis.