Optimum concentration of dissolved oxygen for the survival of virulent Treponema pallidum under conditions of low oxidation-reduction potential.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A maintenance medium with a low redox potential, when gently bubbled with 5% O2 in N2 or with air for various periods of time, gave a range of dissolved O2 concentration of 1.6-5.8 .mu.g/l. Virulent T. pallidum (Nichols strain) inoculated into these media were assayed 24 and 48 h later for motility and virulence [rabbit] and were compared with samples taken at zero time. Virulent T. pallidum survived best in the presence of 2.4 .mu.g/l dissolved O2 over a 48 h period which corresponded to a gaseous mixture of 3% O2 in N2. Higher concentrations of O2 did not give significantly different results from anaerobic conditions over this period. T. pallidum may be microaerophilic.