Effect of KCN on the motility of Treponema pallidium.

: Virulent Treponema pallidum has been shown to survive in KCN-containing artificial medium. Oxygen uptake being sensitive to cyanide, the observation indicates that treponemes do not have a cytochrome oxidase system. KCN had a killing effect only at a 15--30 mM final concentration. The data show that the Budapest strain of T. pallidum is an anaerobic organism.