VISUALIZATION OF AN EXTRACELLULAR MUCOID LAYER OF TREPONEMA-DENTICOLAATCC-35405 AND SURFACE SUGAR LECTIN ANALYSIS OF SOME TREPONEMA SPECIES

Slime layers and capsules are common amongst medically relevant bacter ia. We herein report that Treponema denticola, which has been associat ed with periodontitis, synthesizes or acquires an extracellular polysa ccharide layer that we have observed through electron microscopy using the polysaccharide-specific dye Alcian blue and phosphotungstate. We have also visualized this extracellular layer by dark-field microscopy of Alcian blue-stained spirochete cells. A representative strain of e ach of the oral spirochete species T. denticola, Treponema vincentii a nd Treponema socranskii were differentiated by concanavalin A, phaseol us, lotus A and arachis lectins in a microtiter plate immunoassay for the detection of surface sugars.