Rafidain Journal of Science

Abstract

The study included the relying of some phenotypic tests to investigate the possibility of isolation and identification of oral Treponema from infected periodontal pocket samples. These phenotypic tests included the examination of fixed smears prepared from the bacterial isolates and staining them with gram and modified gram's stain and with Fontana stain under light microscope where the distinct spiral forms of germs were seen. The oral Treponemes also identified by the observation of their actively motile spiral cells in wet smears using phase contrast microscope. The isolation and identification of these bacteria also proved after their interaction with specific antibody and cell clarifying by greenish spiral form when illuminated with U.V. light using fluorescence microscope. Further, the isolation and identification of oral Treponema was continued by the removal of their outer membrane (O.M.) using Triton X-100 and releasing their flagella and staining with specific flagella stain.