1991 Volume 33 Issue 2 Pages 155-165
The human oral spirochete, Treponema denticola ATCC 33520, possesses a major polypeptide antigen with a molecular weight of 53, 000 daltons (53kDa). The outer envelopes were prepared after the cells had been sonicated and then subsequently washed by centrifugation. Electron microscopy of the negatively stained outer envelopes demonstrated that polygonal structures approximately 8.5 nm wide were hexagonally packed and that three pores, each approximately 1.5 nm in diameter, were situated to form a three-eyed structure in each polygon. Using specific anti-53kDa antigen serum and protein A-gold conjugate immunoelectron microscopy also demonstrated that gold particles (size, 5 nm) appeared to adhere specifically to the polygonal structures or the three-eyed structures in the outer envelope, suggesting that the 53kDa major protein antigen may localize on the polygons or the three-eyed structures of the outer envelopes.
