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New Treponema pallidum Strains
For more than a century, research on Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum), the causative agent of syphilis and other treponemal diseases, has been limited by the organism’s resistance to traditional laboratory cultivation. Recent advances in in vitro cultivation have begun to change that landscape. Building on these breakthroughs, BEI Resources is pleased to announce the availability of three newly added Treponema pallidum strains. These three clinically significant subspecies additions represent an important step forward for researchers studying syphilis, endemic syphilis (bejel), and yaws.
Together, these strains span three clinically and epidemiologically distinct treponemal subspecies, offering researchers a rare opportunity to conduct comparative studies using well characterized reference material. T. Pallidum strain Bosnia A (subsp. endemicum) (NR-60824) is a historically significant bejel isolate that has played a key role in understanding the evolutionary relationships among treponemal subspecies and supports diagnostic research. Strain SS14 (subsp. pallidum) (NR-60825) represents the globally dominant syphilis lineage circulating today and critical for antimicrobial resistance and vaccine studies. Strain Gauthier (subsp. pertenue) (NR-60826) is a foundational yaws reference strain, supporting work related to neglected tropical diseases and WHO led yaws eradication efforts, as well as comparative pathogenesis studies.
The availability of these T. pallidum materials reflects a broader shift in the field - from exclusive reliance on animal propagation toward more accessible, standardized research tools. These strains support a wide range of applications, including diagnostic and assay development, comparative genomics and proteomics studies, and antimicrobial resistance studies.
Treponema pallidum
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BEI Item No.
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Description
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| NR-60824 |
Treponema pallidum subsp. endemicum, Strain Bosnia A (in vitro) |
| NR-60825 |
Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, Strain SS14 (in vitro) |
| NR-60826 |
Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue, Strain Gauthier |
References:
1. Edmondson D. G. and S. J. Norris. “In Vitro Cultivation of the Syphilis Spirochete Treponema pallidum.” Curr. Protoc. 60 (2021): e124. Pubmed: 33599121.
2. Bosák J., et al. “Advances in Cultivation and Experimental Systems for Treponema pallidum.” Sci. Rep. 15 (2025): 33240. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18827-9
3. Edmondson D. G., et al. “Parameters Affecting Continuous In vitro Culture of Treponema pallidum Strains.” mBio. 12 (2021): e03536-20. PubMed: 33622721.
Image Alt Text: This highly-magnified scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image depicts a number of spiral-shaped, Treponema pallidum bacteria, atop a culture of cotton-tail rabbit epithelium cells, also known as Sf1Ep-cells. T. pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis. Credit: CDC
Image Credit: Treponema pallidum bacteria atop Sf1Ep-cells. Credit: CDC
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