Name: Treponema Schaudinn 1905 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Genus

Proposed as: gen. nov.

Etymology: Tre.po.ne’ma. Gr. ind. v. trepô, to turn; Gr. neut. n. nêma, a thread; N.L. neut. n. Treponema, a turning thread

Gender, pronunciation: neuter (stem: Treponemat-), tre-po-NE-ma

Type species: Treponema pallidum (Schaudinn and Hoffmann 1905) Schaudinn 1905 (Approved Lists 1980)

Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS

16S rRNA gene: Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Schaudinn F. Korrespondenzen. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift 1905; 31:1728.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Leadbettera Brune et al. 2022	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Helmutkoenigia Brune et al. 2022	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Zuelzera Brune et al. 2022	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Emendations:
  • Abt et al. 2013 Abt B, Goker M, Scheuner C, Han C, Lu M, Misra M, Lapidus A, Nolan M, Lucas S, Hammon N, et al. Genome sequence of the thermophilic fresh-water bacterium Spirochaeta caldaria type strain (H1^T), reclassification of Spirochaeta caldaria, Spirochaeta stenostrepta, and Spirochaeta zuelzerae in the genus Treponema as Treponema caldaria comb. nov., Treponema stenostrepta comb. nov., and Treponema zuelzerae comb. nov., and emendation of the genus Treponema. Stand Genomic Sci 2013; 8:88-105. Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 19. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:8-10.
    Notes:
    • ⊕ Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 3 new species in the genus.

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family Treponemataceae Robinson 1948 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Robinson GH. Family II. Treponemataceae Schaudinn. In: Breed RS, Murray EGD, Hitchens AP (eds), Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 6th ed., The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1948, p. 1051-1058.
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the order Treponematales Chuvochina et al. 2024. Publication: Chuvochina M, Mussig AJ, Chaumeil PA, Skarshewski A, Rinke C, Parks DH, Hugenholtz P. Proposal of names for 329 higher rank taxa defined in the Genome Taxonomy Database under two prokaryotic codes. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 0:0.
  • 🧕 Bergey et al. (1923) assigned this genus to the family Spirochaetaceae Swellengrebel 1907 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Waksman SA. Genus III. Actinomyces Harz,. In: Bergey DH, Harrison FC, Breed RS, Hammer BW, Huntoon FM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 1st ed., The Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore, 1923, p. 339-371.
  • 🧕 Cavalier-Smith (1998) assigned this genus to the subphylum "Euspirochaetae" Cavalier-Smith 1998. Publication: Cavalier-Smith T. A revised six-kingdom system of life. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 1998; 73:203-266.
  • 🧕 Chuvochina et al. (2023) assigned this genus to the order Treponematales Chuvochina et al. 2024. Publication: Chuvochina M, Mussig AJ, Chaumeil PA, Skarshewski A, Rinke C, Parks DH, Hugenholtz P. Proposal of names for 329 higher rank taxa defined in the Genome Taxonomy Database under two prokaryotic codes. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 0:0.
  • 🧕 Gupta et al. (2013) assigned this genus to the family Spirochaetaceae Swellengrebel 1907 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Gupta RS, Mahmood S, Adeolu M. A phylogenomic and molecular signature based approach for characterization of the phylum Spirochaetes and its major clades: proposal for a taxonomic revision of the phylum. Front Microbiol 2013; 4:217.
  • 🚋 The type species of this genus has alternatively been placed in the genus Spirochaeta Ehrenberg 1835 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Schaudinn F, Hoffmann E. Vorläufiger Bericht über das Vorkommen von Spirochaeten in syphilitischen Krankheitsprodukten und bei Papillomen. Arbeiten aus dem Kaiserlichen Gesundheitsamte (Berlin) 1905; 22:528-534.
  • 🙄 This taxon name is occasionally misprinted (or affected by an OCR error) in some sources as: "Deponema"; "Lreponema"; "Teponema"; "Tieponema"; "Trapanema"; "Trcpanema"; "Trcponema"; "Trcponemn"; "Trelponema"; "Trepanema"; "Trepcmema"; "Trepmzema"; "Trepnema"; "Trepnnema"; "Trepocema"; "Trepoenema"; "Trepoifema"; "Trepomena"; "Trepomma"; "Trepomzma"; "Treponcma"; "Treponea"; "Treponeina"; "Treponeiw"; "Treponelna"; "Treponemca"; "Treponemna"; "Treponemo"; "Treponenza"; "Treponerna"; "Treponmea"; "Treponoma"; "Trepontfma"; "Treporzema"; "Treppnema"; "Trepunema"; "Trgpanema"; "Trgponema"; "Trupcnema"; "Tteponema"; "Tttponema"; "Twponema"; "Yreponema".
  • 💁 Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Schrank et al. (1999), Brune et al. (2022). Editors in search of reviewers are advised to consider additional criteria such as whether a taxon is covered by one of the ICSP subcommittees.
  • 🎰 The BRCs most frequently used for deposits in this group are: ATCC: 28; DSM: 27; JCM: 9; CIP: 9; NCTC: 5; CCUG: 2; B: 2; BEI: 1; RCC: 1; LMG: 1.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Animal classification RG: 2 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 2". — The risk group for France has been imported on 2024-08-30. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — The risk group for Sweden has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — The risk group for United Kingdom has been imported on 2024-01-31. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🧍 Pittman et al. (1991) suggested the abbreviation "TREP" for this genus name but this does not appear to be of practical relevance any longer. Publication: Pittman KF, Walczak CA, Lock CM. Codes and abbreviations for approved of effectively published names of genera of bacteria published from January 1980 to December 1990. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1991; 41:571-579.

Subdivision:

Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 28
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 32
Total number of child taxa: 70

• Child taxa:

  • Name	Nomenclatural status	Taxonomic status
    Treponema amylovorum Wyss et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema azotonutricium Graber et al. 2004	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema berlinense Nordhoff et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema brennaborense Schrank et al. 1999	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema bryantii Stanton and Canale-Parola 1980	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Treponema caballi" Gilroy et al. 2022	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema caldaria (Pohlschröder et al. 1995) Abt et al. 2013	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Treponema caldarium corrig. (Pohlschröder et al. 1995) Abt et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Treponema calligyrum" Noguchi 1913	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema carateum" (ex Brumpt 1939) Smibert 1984	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema cuniculi" Noguchi 1922	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema denticola (ex Flügge 1886) Chan et al. 1993	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Treponema denticola" Krieg and Holt 1984	not validly published	synonym
    "Candidatus Treponema equi" Gilroy et al. 2022	not validly published	preferred name
    "Candidatus Treponema equifaecale" Gilroy et al. 2022	not validly published	preferred name
    "Candidatus Treponema excrementipullorum" Gilroy et al. 2021	not validly published	pro-correct name
    "Candidatus Treponema faecavium" Gilroy et al. 2021	not validly published	pro-correct name
    "Treponema hispanicum" de Buen 1926	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Treponema hyodysenteriae Harris et al. 1972 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Treponema innocens Kinyon and Harris 1979 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Candidatus Treponema intracellulare" corrig. Ohkuma et al. 2015	not validly published	pro-correct name
    "Candidatus Treponema intracellularis" Ohkuma et al. 2015	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Treponema isoptericolens Dröge et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema lecithinolyticum Wyss et al. 1999	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Treponema macrodentium" Noguchi 1912	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema maltophilum Wyss et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema medium Umemoto et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Treponema merdequi" Gilroy et al. 2022	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema microdentium" Noguchi 1912	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema minutum Dobell 1912 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Treponema mucosum" Noguchi 1912	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema oralis" Socransky et al. 1969	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema pallidum (Schaudinn and Hoffmann 1905) Schaudinn 1905 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema paraluiscuniculi corrig. (Jacobsthal 1920) Smibert 1974 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Treponema paraluisleporidarum" Lumeij et al. 2013	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema paraluisleporis" Lumeij et al. 1994	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema parvum Wyss et al. 2001	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema pectinovorum Smibert and Burmeister 1983	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema pedis Evans et al. 2009	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema pertenue (Castellani 1905) Castellani and Chalmers 1910 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema peruense Belkhou et al. 2021	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Treponema phagedenis" (ex Brumpt 1922) Smibert 1984	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema phagedenis (ex Brumpt 1922) Kuhnert et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Treponema plautii" Fong et al. 2025	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema porcinum Nordhoff et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema primitia Graber et al. 2004	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema putidum Wyss et al. 2004	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema rectale Staton et al. 2017	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Treponema refringens" (ex Castellani and Chalmers 1919) Smibert 1984	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema reiteri" Miller et al. 1966	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema ruminis Newbrook et al. 2017	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema saccharophilum Paster and Canale-Parola 1986	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Treponema scatequi" Gilroy et al. 2022	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema scoliodontum" (ex Noguchi 1928) Smibert 1984	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema sinense" Fong et al. 2025	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema sinensis" Huo et al. 2017	not validly published	synonym
    Treponema socranskii Smibert et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Treponema stenella" Balik et al. 2023	not validly published	preferred name
    Treponema stenostrepta (Zuelzer 1912) Abt et al. 2013	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Treponema stenostreptum corrig. (Zuelzer 1912) Abt et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Treponema succinifaciens Cwyk and Canale-Parola 1981	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Treponema suis" Mølbak et al. 2006	not validly published	pro-correct name
    "Treponema suis" Kujumgiev and Spassova 1967	not validly published	preferred name
    "Candidatus Treponema teratonymphae" Noda et al. 2018	not validly published	pro-correct name
    "Treponema venezuelense" Brumpt 1921	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Treponema vincentii" (ex Brumpt 1922) Smibert 1984	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema vincentii" Fong et al. 2025	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema zioleckii" Piknova et al. 2008	not validly published	preferred name
    "Treponema zuelzerae" Veldkamp 1960	not validly published	synonym
    Treponema zuelzerae (Canale-Parola 1980 ex Veldkamp 1960) Abt et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	synonym

Parent taxon: Treponemataceae Robinson 1948 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Robinson GH. Family II. Treponemataceae Schaudinn. In: Breed RS, Murray EGD, Hitchens AP (eds), Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 6th ed., The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1948, p. 1051-1058.

Linking: To permanently link to this page, use https://lpsn.dsmz.de/genus/treponemaCopy to clipboardLink copied to clipboard

Record number: 516856