Rank: Species

Lineage: Bacteria;Spirochaetes;Spirochaetia;Spirochaetales;Spirochaetaceae;Treponema;Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum

Description: Treponema pallidum. This organisms is divided into subspecies each of which causes a specific disease. T. pallidum subsp. pallidum causes the venereal disease syphilis. T. pallidum subsps. pertenue, carateum and endemicum cause the skin infections yaws, pinta and bejel, respectively. Cells are motile, slender, helically shaped flexible organisms, 0.1-0.18 microns in diameter and 6-20 microns long. Motility is by rapid rotation around the long axis, flexation of the cell and locomotion along a helical path. The most distinctive property is the presence of periplasmic flagella wound around the helical protoplasmic cylinder and encased in an outer sheath. Pathogenic strains also have a capsule-like outer coat that is not present in nonpathogenic strains. More >> Less >>

Reference Material:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/?term=Treponema%20pallidum%20subsp.%20pallidum