Given that T. pallidum / HIV co-infections are common (Shockman et al., 2014; Burchell et al., 2015), and the potential for co-localization of T. pallidum and P. aeruginosa to the same environmental niches within the urogenital region in immunocompromised patients, these findings support the concept that T. pallidum may produce anti-pseudomonal AMPs as a defense mechanism during infection. The gene discussed is ADSL; the disease is infection.