Electron microscopy studies of human intestinal spirochetes

The ultrastructure of twenty human intestinal spirochetes was analyzed using the electron microscope. Negatively stained cells were generally found to be loosely and irregularly waved. The isolates had cell dimensions ranging from 0.18-0.35 micron in width and from 3.9-14.2 micron in length. Twin bundles of flagella were present in the space between the cytoplasmic membrane and the outer membrane. The majority of isolates had five flagella inserted sub-terminally at each cell end. Human intestinal spirochetes divide by binary fission. They are morphologically similar to swine intestinal treponemes, both pathogenic (Treponema hyodysenteriae) and non pathogenic (Treponema innocens), and different from Treponema pallidum, Treponema phagedenis and Borrelia burgdorferi. Following treatment with sodium deoxycolate, no bundles of cytoplasmic microtubules were observed in cells obtained from cultures of human and swine intestinal spirochetes or from cells of B. burgdorferi, while these structures were present in similarly treated cells of T. pallidum and T. phagedenis.