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Spirochaete

Phylum of bacteria

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  • 4 chapters

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Spirochaetes are distinguished from other bacterial phyla by the location of their flagella, called endoflagella, or periplasmic flagella, which are sometimes called axial filaments. Endoflagella are anchored at each end (pole) of the bacterium within the periplasmic space (between the inner and outer membranes) where they project backwards to extend the length of the cell. These cause a twisting motion which allows the spirochaete to move. When reproducing, a spirochaete will undergo asexual transverse binary fission. Most spirochaetes are free-living and anaerobic, but there are numerous exceptions. Spirochaete bacteria are diverse in their pathogenic capacity and the ecological niches that they inhabit, as well as molecular characteristics including guanine-cytosine content and genome size.

Pathogenicity

Many organisms within the Spirochaetota phylum cause prevalent diseases. Pathogenic members of this phylum include the following:

Salvarsan, the first partially organic synthetic antimicrobial drug in medical history, was effective against spirochaetes and primarily used to cure syphilis. Additionally, oral spirochaetes are known to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of human periodontal disease.

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GenusTaxonomic rank above species and below familyFamily (taxonomy)Taxonomic rank between genus and orderEndemismState of species being unique to a locationCladeGroup of a common ancestor and all of their descendantsGenomeAll genetic material of an organismOrder (taxonomy)Taxonomic rank between class and family