Abstract
The genus Brachyspira contains a number of species of commensal and pathogenic anaerobic intestinal spirochaetes that colonize human beings, animals and birds (Hampson & Stanton, 1997). With the rapidly growing interest in genome sequencing, proteomic analysis and vaccine development for these spirochaetes, new genes encoding novel Brachyspira membrane proteins and lipoproteins are becoming more frequently reported. The current nomenclature used for Brachyspira membrane proteins, lipoproteins and associated genes has developed in an ad hoc way and this has already caused some confusion with, for example, the same genes and proteins being given different names. Consequently, a revision to the current nomenclature is proposed and a simple set of guidelines for naming new membrane proteins, lipoproteins and their genes is described.