Wong G H, Steiner B M, Graves S
Infect Immun. 1983 Aug;41(2):636-43. doi: 10.1128/iai.41.2.636-643.1983.
Treponema pallidum partially inhibited the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein by rabbit cells in vitro. The inhibition of DNA synthesis was proportional to treponemal concentration and persisted during the period of exposure to T. pallidum. The toxic effect was not dependent on treponemal metabolism or on whole treponemes, since heat- and penicillin-killed treponemes and a cell-free sonicate of treponemes had similar toxicities. The toxic factor(s) was also detected in extracts of syphilitic rabbit testes but not in extracts of normal rabbit testes or testes inflamed by chemical means. The T. pallidum-derived toxic material had a molecular weight greater than 20,000 as determined by dialysis. Protein and DNA synthesis were most rapidly inhibited; RNA synthesis continued at normal rates for up to 2 h after exposure to treponemes. Protein synthesis or a necessary precursor of protein synthesis appeared to be the primary target of the T. pallidum toxin(s).
梅毒螺旋体在体外可部分抑制兔细胞的DNA、RNA和蛋白质合成。DNA合成的抑制与梅毒螺旋体浓度成正比，且在暴露于梅毒螺旋体期间持续存在。毒性作用不依赖于梅毒螺旋体的代谢或完整的梅毒螺旋体，因为经加热和青霉素处理灭活的梅毒螺旋体以及梅毒螺旋体的无细胞超声提取物具有相似的毒性。在梅毒兔睾丸提取物中也检测到了毒性因子，但在正常兔睾丸提取物或化学性炎症的睾丸提取物中未检测到。通过透析测定，梅毒螺旋体来源的有毒物质分子量大于20,000。蛋白质和DNA合成受到的抑制最为迅速；暴露于梅毒螺旋体后，RNA合成在长达2小时内仍以正常速率继续。蛋白质合成或蛋白质合成的一种必需前体似乎是梅毒螺旋体毒素的主要作用靶点。
