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Volume 32, Number 2—February 2026

Dispatch

Genomic Analysis of Doxycycline Resistance–Associated 16S rRNA Mutations in Treponema pallidum Subspecies pallidum

George S. Long, Mackenzie Neale, Thomas Braukmann, Vanessa Tran, Nishant Singh, Vanessa Allen, Muhammad Morshed, Jessica Minion, Paul Van Caeseele, Maud Vallée, Todd Hatchette, Samir N. Patel, Raymond S.W. Tsang, and Venkata R. DuvvuriComments to Author 
Author affiliation: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (G.S. Long, T. Braukmann, V. Tran, N. Singh, V. Allen, S.N. Patel, V.R. Duvvuri); Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (M. Neale, R.S.W. Tsang); University of Toronto, Toronto (T. Braukmann, V. Tran, V. Allen, S.N. Patel, V.R. Duvvuri); Sinai Health and University Health Network, Toronto (V. Allen); British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (M. Morshed); University of British Columbia, Vancouver (M. Morshed); Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (J. Minion); University of Saskatchewan, Regina (J. Minion); Cadham Provincial Laboratory, Winnipeg (P. Van Caeseele); University of Manitoba, Winnipeg (P. Van Caeseele); Laboratoire de Santé Publique du Québec, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada (M. Vallée); Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (T. Hatchette); York University, Toronto (V.R. Duvvuri)

Main Article

Table 3

Conversion of key tetracycline-related mutations to 16S coordinates in Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum in genomic analysis of doxycycline resistance–associated 16S rRNA mutations in T. pallidum subsp. pallidum*

TPA
Position
964
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
1060
1061
1062
Nichols C G A T G A T A C T G C A T G G C
SS14
C
G
A
T
G
A
T
A
C
T
G
C
A
T
G
G
C
C. acnes
Position
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
WT C G A T G C A A G T G C A T G G* C
Hypothetical AMR strain
C
G
A
T
G
C
A
A
G
T
G
C
A
T
G
c
C
E. coli
Position
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969
1051
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
WT C G A* T G C A A C T G* C* A* T G G C
Hypothetical AMR strain
C
G
G
T
G
C
A
A
C
T
a
t
g
T
G
G
C
H. pylori Position
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
WT C G A A* G* A* T A C T G C A C G G C
Hypothetical AMR strain C G A g t c T A C T G C A C G G C

*Alignment of 16S genes from E. coli (U00096.1, 4166659–4168200), C. acnes (NR_040847.1, 1–1486), H. pylori (CP003904.1, 1512657–1511157), and TPA (Nichols lineage: NC_010741.1:231287–232831 and SS14 lineage: NC_021508.1:231297–232845). Columns in gray indicate sites related to tetracycline resistance whereas cells with an asterisk reveal the reference bacteria and nucleotide. Lowercase letters indicate a mutation in comparison to the WT sequence. The final coordinates reported in this dispatch are for the TPA 16S rRNA gene. Flanking sites are shown to give additional context. AMR, antimicrobial resistant; TPA, Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum; WT, wild type.

Main Article

Page created: January 16, 2026
Page updated: February 09, 2026
Page reviewed: February 09, 2026
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