High prevalence and genetic diversity of Treponema paraluisleporidarum isolates in European lagomorphs

Syphilis is an ancient disease of humans and lagomorphs caused by two distinct but genetically closely related bacteria (>98% sequence identity based on the whole genome) of the genus . While human syphilis is well studied, little is known about the disease in the lagomorph host. Yet, comparative...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microbiology spectrum 2024-01, Vol.12 (1), p.e0177423-e0177423
Main Authors: Knauf, Sascha, Hisgen, Linda, Ågren, Erik O, Barlow, Alexander M, Faehndrich, Marcus, Voigt, Ulrich, Fischer, Luisa, Grillová, Linda, Hallmaier-Wacker, Luisa K, Kik, Marja J L, Klink, Jana C, Křenová, Jitka, Lavazza, Antonio, Lüert, Simone, Nováková, Markéta, Čejková, Darina, Pacioni, Carlo, Trogu, Tiziana, Šmajs, David, Roos, Christian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Epidemiology
European brown hare
Genetic Variation
Humans
Lagomorpha
Lepus
Oryctolagus
Prevalence
rabbit
Research Article
spirochetes
syphilis
Syphilis - epidemiology
Syphilis - microbiology
Treponema - genetics
Treponema pallidum
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Summary:Syphilis is an ancient disease of humans and lagomorphs caused by two distinct but genetically closely related bacteria (>98% sequence identity based on the whole genome) of the genus . While human syphilis is well studied, little is known about the disease in the lagomorph host. Yet, comparative studies are needed to understand mechanisms in host-pathogen coevolution in treponematoses. Importantly, -infected hare populations provide ample opportunity to study the syphilis-causing pathogen in a naturally infected model population without antibiotic treatment, data that cannot be obtained from syphilis infection in humans. We provide data on genetic diversity and are able to highlight various types of repetitions in one of the two hypervariable regions at the locus that have not been described in the human syphilis-causing sister bacterium subsp. .
ISSN:2165-0497
2165-0497
DOI:10.1128/spectrum.01774-23