Summary
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1.
Axial filaments from the Nichols non-pathogenic strain of Treponema pallidum were exposed and isolated by a combination of physical and chemical procedures and subsequently observed in the electron microscope by both thin sectioning and negative staining.
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2.
Axial filaments were characterized by two principal components: a filament and an encasing striated tubule. The filament consisted of a muschroom-shaped basal body located just inside the cell membrane, a hook that traversed the cell membrane and cell wall, and a core surrounded by a sheath located in the pericylinder space. The core, sheath and hook demonstrated globular subunits that often formed oblique striations.
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3.
The striated tubule that surrounded the filament was composed of a banded layer with a regular periodicity, a cover that originated from the cell envelope, and a terminal knob that assumed a variety of configurations. The striated tubule remained intact even without its enclosed filament.
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4.
A model for the relationship between the axial filament and the whole organism was presented.
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Jackson, S., Black, S.H. Ultrastructure of Treponema pallidum Nichols following lysis by physical and chemical methods. Archiv. Mikrobiol. 76, 325–340 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408529
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408529