Cellular Lipid Comparisons Between Strains of Treponema hyodysenteriae and Treponema innocens

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Abstract
The cellular lipids of 11 strains of Treponema hyodysenteriae and 10 strains of non-enteropathogenic, weakly beta-hemolytic spirochetes classified as Treponema innocens were extracted with chloroform-methanol and analyzed by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography for fatty acids, alkenyl moieties, alkenyl ether lipid compositions, monoglycosyldiglyceride, acylmonoglycosyldiglyceride, and the types of sugars in the glycolipids. Most strains were distinguishable at the species level on the basis of the ratio of 14:0 to iso-15:0 alkenyl moieties; 14:0 moieties predominated in most T. hyodysenteriae strains, whereas most strains classified as T. innocens contained more iso-15:0 moieties. The other aspects of lipid composition were not useful for differentiation. All of the strains had similar cellular fatty acid profiles and contained monoglycosyldiglyceride. The mean alkenyl ether lipid compositions were 48 and 32% of the total lipids of strains of T. hyodysenteriae and T. innocens, respectively. Galactose was the predominant sugar in the glycolipids of 18 strains, 17 of which also contained acylmonoglycosyldiglyceride. Three strains classified as T. innocens contained primarily glucose in their glycolipids and did not contain acylmonoglycosyldiglyceride. Gas-liquid chromatographic determinations of the alkenyl chain profiles of the extractable cellular lipids provided useful information for differentiation of the etiological agent of swine dysentery from morphologically similar, nonpathogenic spirochetes.