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Treponema spirochetes is a species of helical bacteria known to be a cause of papillomatous digital dermatitis, a major cause of lameness in cattle. It is also closely related to Treponema pallidum, the pathogen which causes syphilis in humans.
T. spirochetes is perhaps best known for its symbiotic relationship with the protist Mixotricha paradoxa. Over half a million bacteria line the outer membrane of M. paradoxa, acting as surrogate cilia to provide locomotion to the protist while it steers with its natural flagella. M. paradoxa lives in the guts of termites where it aides in the digestion of cellulose.
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