Immunity in Experimental Syphilis III. Attenuation of Virulent Treponema pallidum by γ-Irradiation

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Abstract
Miller, James N. (University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles). Immunity in experimental syphilis. III. Attenuation of virulent Treponema pallidum by γ-irradiation. J. Bacteriol. 90:297–301. 1965.—Virulent, freshly isolated cells of Treponema pallidum strain Nichols suspended in a 50% rabbit serum-saline solution and exposed to a γ-irradiation dosage of 652,800 r were rendered noninfectious without apparent loss of motility or change in observable morphological and staining characteristics. Although 5 × 107 γ-irradiated organisms failed to elicit an immobilizing antibody response in rabbits, the same organisms retained their capacity to react with classical T. pallidum-immobilizing antibody.