Effect of sugars and metabolic intermediates on the attachment of Treponema pallidum to rabbit cells.

The effect of various energy sources and metabolic intermediates on the attachment of Treponema pallidum to baby rabbit genital organ (BRGO) cells in culture was examined. Pyruvate and glucose enhanced the motility of T. pallidum in vitro. Pyruvate increased significantly the attachment of treponemes to BRGO cells when compared with the other substrates but all substrates tested stimulated DNA synthesis by cultured BRGO cells. Thus, the effect of pyruvate on attachment may be due to an effect on the treponemes. Prior exposure of the BRGO cells to the glucose analogue 2-deoxyglucose greatly inhibited the attachment of T. pallidum whereas three other analogues had no effect. The inhibitory effect of 2-deoxyglucose was partially reversed by the presence of pyruvate in the attachment assay. These results suggest that energy metabolism of both T. pallidum and host cells may be required for the initial interaction of T. pallidum with its host in vivo.