The Phylogenetic Diversity of the Genus Treponema
Bruce J. Paster and Floyd E. Dewhirst
from: Pathogenic Treponema: Molecular and Cellular Biology (Edited by: Justin D. Radolf and Sheila A. Lukehart). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2006)
Abstract
Species of Treponema are generally considered as anaerobic, host-associated spirochetes that represent one of nine spirochetal genera of the phylum Spirochaetes as based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Traditionally, treponemal species have been characterized using conventional phenotypic and genotypic traits. More recently, comparative whole genomic analysis has been useful to provide insight on the evolutionary aspects of treponemes. Clonal analysis of 16S rRNA genes amplified from clinical and environmental samples has revealed hundreds of not-yet-cultivated treponemal species in the human oral cavity, the termite gut, the bovine rumen, other host-associated sources, and environmental sources, such as waste treatment plants. It is likely that there remains a considerable number of unrecognized species of Treponema read more ...
