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Yaş OB, Coleman AS, Lipman RM, Sharma K, Raghunandanan S, Alanazi F, Rana VS, Kitsou C, Yang X, Pal U. A systemic approach to identify non-abundant immunogenic proteins in Lyme disease pathogens. mSystems 2024; 9:e0108723. [PMID: 38078774 PMCID: PMC10805064 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01087-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen of Lyme disease, differentially produces many outer surface proteins (Osp), some of which represent the most abundant membrane proteins, such as OspA, OspB, and OspC. In cultured bacteria, these proteins can account for a substantial fraction of the total cellular or membrane proteins, posing challenges to the identification and analysis of non-abundant proteins, which could serve as novel pathogen detection markers or as vaccine candidates. Herein, we introduced serial mutations to remove these abundant Osps and generated a B. burgdorferi mutant deficient in OspA, OspB, and OspC in an infectious 297-isolate background, designated as OspABC- mutant. Compared to parental isolate, the mutant did not reflect growth defects in the cultured medium but showed differential mRNA expression of representative tested genes, in addition to gross changes in cellular and membrane protein profiles. The analysis of differentially detectable protein contents of the OspABC- mutant, as compared to the wild type, by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, identified several spirochete proteins that are dominated by proteins of unknown functions, as well as membrane transporters, chaperons, and metabolic enzymes. We produced recombinant forms of two of these represented proteins, BBA34 and BB0238, and showed that these proteins are detectable during spirochete infection in the tick-borne murine model of Lyme borreliosis and thus serve as potential antigenic markers of the infection.IMPORTANCEThe present manuscript employed a systemic approach to identify non-abundant proteins in cultured Borrelia burgdorferi that are otherwise masked or hidden due to the overwhelming presence of abundant Osps like OspA, OspB, and OspC. As these Osps are either absent or transiently expressed in mammals, we performed a proof-of-concept study in which their removal allowed the analysis of otherwise less abundant antigens in OspABC-deficient mutants and identified several immunogenic proteins, including BBA34 and BB0238. These antigens could serve as novel vaccine candidates and/or genetic markers of Lyme borreliosis, promoting new research in the clinical diagnosis and prevention of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozlem Buyuktanir Yaş
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Adam S. Coleman
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Rachel M. Lipman
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kavita Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Sajith Raghunandanan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Fuad Alanazi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Vipin S. Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
- Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
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Gutierrez-Hoffmann M, Fan J, O’Meally RN, Cole RN, Florea L, Antonescu C, Talbot CC, Tiniakou E, Darrah E, Soloski MJ. The Interaction of Borrelia burgdorferi with Human Dendritic Cells: Functional Implications. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:612-625. [PMID: 37405694 PMCID: PMC10527078 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic cells bridge the innate and adaptive immune responses by serving as sensors of infection and as the primary APCs responsible for the initiation of the T cell response against invading pathogens. The naive T cell activation requires the following three key signals to be delivered from dendritic cells: engagement of the TCR by peptide Ags bound to MHC molecules (signal 1), engagement of costimulatory molecules on both cell types (signal 2), and expression of polarizing cytokines (signal 3). Initial interactions between Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, and dendritic cells remain largely unexplored. To address this gap in knowledge, we cultured live B. burgdorferi with monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mo-DCs) from healthy donors to examine the bacterial immunopeptidome associated with HLA-DR. In parallel, we examined changes in the expression of key costimulatory and regulatory molecules as well as profiled the cytokines released by dendritic cells when exposed to live spirochetes. RNA-sequencing studies on B. burgdorferi-pulsed dendritic cells show a unique gene expression signature associated with B. burgdorferi stimulation that differs from stimulation with lipoteichoic acid, a TLR2 agonist. These studies revealed that exposure of mo-DCs to live B. burgdorferi drives the expression of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as immunoregulatory molecules (e.g., PD-L1, IDO1, Tim3). Collectively, these studies indicate that the interaction of live B. burgdorferi with mo-DCs promotes a unique mature DC phenotype that likely impacts the nature of the adaptive T cell response generated in human Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gutierrez-Hoffmann
- Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Jinshui Fan
- Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Robert N. O’Meally
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility,
Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Robert N. Cole
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility,
Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Liliana Florea
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins
University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Corina Antonescu
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins
University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - C. Conover Talbot
- Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Johns
Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Eleni Tiniakou
- Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Erika Darrah
- Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Mark J. Soloski
- Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University,
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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3
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Rangel-Ramírez VV, González-Sánchez HM, Lucio-García C. Exosomes: from biology to immunotherapy in infectious diseases. Infect Dis (Lond) 2023; 55:79-107. [PMID: 36562253 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2022.2149852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are extracellular vesicles derived from the endosomal compartment, which are released by all kinds of eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. These vesicles contain a variety of biomolecules that differ both in quantity and type depending on the origin and cellular state. Exosomes are internalized by recipient cells, delivering their content and thus contributing to cell-cell communication in health and disease. During infections exosomes may exert a dual role, on one hand, they can transmit pathogen-related molecules mediating further infection and damage, and on the other hand, they can protect the host by activating the immune response and reducing pathogen spread. Selective packaging of pathogenic components may mediate these effects. Recently, quantitative analysis of samples by omics technologies has allowed a deep characterization of the proteins, lipids, RNA, and metabolite cargoes of exosomes. Knowledge about the content of these vesicles may facilitate their therapeutic application. Furthermore, as exosomes have been detected in almost all biological fluids, pathogenic or host-derived components can be identified in liquid biopsies, making them suitable for diagnosis and prognosis. This review attempts to organize the recent findings on exosome composition and function during viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan infections, and their contribution to host defense or to pathogen spread. Moreover, we summarize the current perspectives and future directions regarding the potential application of exosomes for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - César Lucio-García
- Centro de Investigación sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, México
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Rana VS, Kitsou C, Dutta S, Ronzetti MH, Zhang M, Bernard Q, Smith AA, Tomás-Cortázar J, Yang X, Wu MJ, Kepple O, Li W, Dwyer JE, Matias J, Baljinnyam B, Oliver JD, Rajeevan N, Pedra JHF, Narasimhan S, Wang Y, Munderloh U, Fikrig E, Simeonov A, Anguita J, Pal U. Dome1-JAK-STAT signaling between parasite and host integrates vector immunity and development. Science 2023; 379:eabl3837. [PMID: 36634189 PMCID: PMC10122270 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl3837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Ancestral signaling pathways serve critical roles in metazoan development, physiology, and immunity. We report an evolutionary interspecies communication pathway involving a central Ixodes scapularis tick receptor termed Dome1, which acquired a mammalian cytokine receptor motif exhibiting high affinity for interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Host-derived IFN-γ facilitates Dome1-mediated activation of the Ixodes JAK-STAT pathway. This accelerates tick blood meal acquisition and development while upregulating antimicrobial components. The Dome1-JAK-STAT pathway, which exists in most Ixodid tick genomes, regulates the regeneration and proliferation of gut cells-including stem cells-and dictates metamorphosis through the Hedgehog and Notch-Delta networks, ultimately affecting Ixodes vectorial competence. We highlight the evolutionary dependence of I. scapularis on mammalian hosts through cross-species signaling mechanisms that dually influence arthropod immunity and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipin S. Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Shraboni Dutta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Michael H. Ronzetti
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Quentin Bernard
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Alexis A. Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Julen Tomás-Cortázar
- CIC bioGUNE-BRTA (Basque Research & Technology Alliance), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Ming-Jie Wu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Oleksandra Kepple
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Weizhong Li
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Dwyer
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jaqueline Matias
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bolormaa Baljinnyam
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Nallakkandi Rajeevan
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joao H F Pedra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ulrike Munderloh
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Juan Anguita
- CIC bioGUNE-BRTA (Basque Research & Technology Alliance), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
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Transmission Cycle of Tick-Borne Infections and Co-Infections, Animal Models and Diseases. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11111309. [PMID: 36365060 PMCID: PMC9696261 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens such as species of Borrelia, Babesia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia, and Ehrlichia are widespread in the United States and Europe among wildlife, in passerines as well as in domestic and farm animals. Transmission of these pathogens occurs by infected ticks during their blood meal, carnivorism, and through animal bites in wildlife, whereas humans can become infected either by an infected tick bite, through blood transfusion and in some cases, congenitally. The reservoir hosts play an important role in maintaining pathogens in nature and facilitate transmission of individual pathogens or of multiple pathogens simultaneously to humans through ticks. Tick-borne co-infections were first reported in the 1980s in white-footed mice, the most prominent reservoir host for causative organisms in the United States, and they are becoming a major concern for public health now. Various animal infection models have been used extensively to better understand pathogenesis of tick-borne pathogens and to reveal the interaction among pathogens co-existing in the same host. In this review, we focus on the prevalence of these pathogens in different reservoir hosts, animal models used to investigate their pathogenesis and host responses they trigger to understand diseases in humans. We also documented the prevalence of these pathogens as correlating with the infected ticks’ surveillance studies. The association of tick-borne co-infections with other topics such as pathogens virulence factors, host immune responses as they relate to diseases severity, identification of vaccine candidates, and disease economic impact are also briefly addressed here.
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Wojciechowska-Koszko I, Kwiatkowski P, Sienkiewicz M, Kowalczyk M, Kowalczyk E, Dołęgowska B. Cross-Reactive Results in Serological Tests for Borreliosis in Patients with Active Viral Infections. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020203. [PMID: 35215146 PMCID: PMC8879713 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, serological tests for Lyme disease (LD), routinely performed in laboratories following the European Concerted Action on Lyme Borreliosis recommendations as part of two-stage diagnostics, are often difficult to interpret. This concerns both the generation of false positive and negative results, which frequently delay the correct diagnosis and implementation of appropriate treatment. The above problems result from both morphological and antigenic variability characteristics for the life strategy of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, a complicated immune response, and imperfections in diagnostic methods. The study aimed to check the reactivity of sera from 69 patients with confirmed infection with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and BK virus (BKV) with Borrelia antigens used in serological tests: indirect immunofluorescence (IIFT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and immunoblot (IB). In the group of patients infected with EBV, the highest percentage of positive/borderline anti-Borrelia IgM and IgG results was obtained in the following tests: IIFT (51.9% for IgM, 63.0% for IgG), ELISA (22.2% for IgM, 29.6% for IgG) and IB (11.1% for IgM, 7.4% for IgG). In the group of CMV-infected patients, the highest percentage of positive/borderline anti-Borrelia IgM results were obtained in the following tests: IB (23.1%), IIFT (15.4%) and ELISA (7.7%), while in the IgG class in the IIFT (15.4%), IB (11.5%) and ELISA (3.9%) tests. In the group of patients infected with BKV, the highest percentage of positive/borderline anti-Borrelia IgM results was obtained in the following tests: IIFT (25.0%), IB (25.0%) and ELISA (3.9%), and in the IgG class in the tests: IB (50.0%), IIFT (6.2%) and ELISA (6.2%). The native flagellin (p41) and OspC proteins were the most frequently detected Borrelia antigens in all studied groups of patients in both classes of antibodies. Similar to other authors, the study confirmed the fact that serological tests used in the diagnosis of LD have a high potential to generate false positive results in patients with active viral infections, which may be related to cross-reacting antibodies appearing during the most common polyclonal activation of T/B lymphocytes, activated by viral superantigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Wojciechowska-Koszko
- Department of Diagnostic Immunology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wielkopolskich Av. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-91-466-12-59
| | - Paweł Kwiatkowski
- Department of Diagnostic Immunology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wielkopolskich Av. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Monika Sienkiewicz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Microbiological Diagnostic, Medical University of Lodz, Muszynskiego St. 1, 90-151 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Mateusz Kowalczyk
- Babinski Memorial Hospital, Aleksandrowska St. 159, 91-229 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Edward Kowalczyk
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego St. 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Barbara Dołęgowska
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wielkopolskich Av. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
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Karvonen K, Tammisto H, Nykky J, Gilbert L. Borrelia burgdorferi Outer Membrane Vesicles Contain Antigenic Proteins, but Do Not Induce Cell Death in Human Cells. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020212. [PMID: 35208666 PMCID: PMC8878412 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Like many bacterial species, Borrelia burgdorferi, the pleomorphic bacterium that causes Lyme borreliosis, produces outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Borrelial OMVs (BbOMVs) have been identified as containing virulence factors, such as outer surface proteins (Osps) A, B, and C, as well as DNA. However, the pathogenicity of BbOMVs in disease development is still unclear. In this study, we characterized purified BbOMVs by analyzing their size and immunolabeling for known antigenic markers: OspA, OspC, p39, and peptidoglycan. In addition, BbOMVs were cocultured with human non-immune cells for cytotoxicity analysis. The results demonstrated that, on average, the vesicles were small, ranging between 11 and 108 nm in diameter. In addition, both OspA and OspC, as well as Lyme arthritis markers p39 and peptidoglycan, were detected from BbOMVs. Furthermore, BbOMVs were cocultured with non-immune cells, which did not result in cell death. Combined, these results suggested that BbOMVs could participate in the induction of infection by functioning as a decoy for the host immune system. Furthermore, BbOMVs might serve as a means for persistent antigens to remain in the host for prolonged periods of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kati Karvonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaskyla, Finland; (H.T.); (J.N.)
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (L.G.)
| | - Hanna Tammisto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaskyla, Finland; (H.T.); (J.N.)
| | - Jonna Nykky
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaskyla, Finland; (H.T.); (J.N.)
| | - Leona Gilbert
- Te?ted Oy, Mattilanniemi 6-8, FI-40100 Jyvaskyla, Finland
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (L.G.)
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8
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Kuhn HW, Lasseter AG, Adams PP, Avile CF, Stone BL, Akins DR, Jewett TJ, Jewett MW. BB0562 is a nutritional virulence determinant with lipase activity important for Borrelia burgdorferi infection and survival in fatty acid deficient environments. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009869. [PMID: 34415955 PMCID: PMC8409650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi relies on uptake of essential nutrients from its host environments for survival and infection. Therefore, nutrient acquisition mechanisms constitute key virulence properties of the pathogen, yet these mechanisms remain largely unknown. In vivo expression technology applied to B. burgdorferi (BbIVET) during mammalian infection identified gene bb0562, which encodes a hypothetical protein comprised of a conserved domain of unknown function, DUF3996. DUF3996 is also found across adjacent encoded hypothetical proteins BB0563 and BB0564, suggesting the possibility that the three proteins could be functionally related. Deletion of bb0562, bb0563 and bb0564 individually and together demonstrated that bb0562 alone was important for optimal disseminated infection in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice by needle inoculation and tick bite transmission. Moreover, bb0562 promoted spirochete survival during the blood dissemination phase of infection. Gene bb0562 was also found to be important for spirochete growth in low serum media and the growth defect of Δbb0562 B. burgdorferi was rescued with the addition of various long chain fatty acids, particularly oleic acid. In mammals, fatty acids are primarily stored in fat droplets in the form of triglycerides. Strikingly, addition of glyceryl trioleate, the triglyceride form of oleic acid, to the low serum media did not rescue the growth defect of the mutant, suggesting bb0562 may be important for the release of fatty acids from triglycerides. Therefore, we searched for and identified two canonical GXSXG lipase motifs within BB0562, despite the lack of homology to known bacterial lipases. Purified BB0562 demonstrated lipolytic activity dependent on the catalytic serine residues within the two motifs. In sum, we have established that bb0562 is a novel nutritional virulence determinant, encoding a lipase that contributes to fatty acid scavenge for spirochete survival in environments deficient in free fatty acids including the mammalian host. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, has a small genome and lacks the ability to synthesize essential nutrients on its own as well as many of the virulence properties typical of bacterial pathogens that contribute to disease. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease predominantly result from inflammation in response to the B. burgdorferi infection. Therefore, nutrient acquisition functions constitute key virulence factors for the pathogen. Fatty acids are critical components of B. burgdorferi membranes and lipoproteins, which the spirochete must scavenge from the host environment. Previously, through a genetic screen for B. burgdorferi genes that are expressed during mammalian infection we identified gene of unknown function, bb0562. Herein, we demonstrate that bb0562 encodes a lipase that plays a role in the release of free fatty acids from triglycerides. Furthermore, bb0562 contributes to B. burgdorferi survival and dissemination in the mammalian host. BB0562 is important for spirochete survival in environments low in free fatty acids thereby adding to B. burgdorferi’s arsenal of nutritional virulence determinants necessary for the pathogen to be maintained in the tick-mouse enzootic cycle and to cause disseminated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter W. Kuhn
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Amanda G. Lasseter
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Philip P. Adams
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Postdoctoral Research Associate Program, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carlos Flores Avile
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Brandee L. Stone
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Darrin R. Akins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Travis J. Jewett
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mollie W. Jewett
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Davis MM, Brock AM, DeHart TG, Boribong BP, Lee K, McClune ME, Chang Y, Cramer N, Liu J, Jones CN, Jutras BL. The peptidoglycan-associated protein NapA plays an important role in the envelope integrity and in the pathogenesis of the lyme disease spirochete. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009546. [PMID: 33984073 PMCID: PMC8118282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen responsible for causing Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is an atypical Gram-negative spirochete that is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected Ixodes tick. In diderms, peptidoglycan (PG) is sandwiched between the inner and outer membrane of the cell envelope. In many other Gram-negative bacteria, PG is bound by protein(s), which provide both structural integrity and continuity between envelope layers. Here, we present evidence of a peptidoglycan-associated protein (PAP) in B. burgdorferi. Using an unbiased proteomics approach, we identified Neutrophil Attracting Protein A (NapA) as a PAP. Interestingly, NapA is a Dps homologue, which typically functions to bind and protect cellular DNA from damage during times of stress. While B. burgdorferi NapA is known to be involved in the oxidative stress response, it lacks the critical residues necessary for DNA binding. Biochemical and cellular studies demonstrate that NapA is localized to the B. burgdorferi periplasm and is indeed a PAP. Cryo-electron microscopy indicates that mutant bacteria, unable to produce NapA, have structural abnormalities. Defects in cell-wall integrity impact growth rate and cause the napA mutant to be more susceptible to osmotic and PG-specific stresses. NapA-linked PG is secreted in outer membrane vesicles and augments IL-17 production, relative to PG alone. Using microfluidics, we demonstrate that NapA acts as a molecular beacon-exacerbating the pathogenic properties of B. burgdorferi PG. These studies further our understanding of the B. burgdorferi cell envelope, provide critical information that underlies its pathogenesis, and highlight how a highly conserved bacterial protein can evolve mechanistically, while maintaining biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisela M. Davis
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Aaron M. Brock
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Tanner G. DeHart
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Brittany P. Boribong
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Katherine Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mecaila E. McClune
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Yunjie Chang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Cramer
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Caroline N. Jones
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Brandon L. Jutras
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
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10
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Koči J, Bista S, Chirania P, Yang X, Kitsou C, Rana VS, Yas OB, Sonenshine DE, Pal U. Antibodies against EGF-like domains in Ixodes scapularis BM86 orthologs impact tick feeding and survival of Borrelia burgdorferi. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6095. [PMID: 33731754 PMCID: PMC7971074 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85624-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks transmit multiple pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, and encode many proteins harboring epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains. We show that I. scapularis produces multiple orthologs for Bm86, a widely studied tick gut protein considered as a target of an anti-tick vaccine, herein termed as Is86. We show that Is86 antigens feature at least three identifiable regions harboring EGF-like domains (termed as EGF-1, EGF-2, and EGF-3) and are differentially upregulated during B. burgdorferi infection. Although the RNA interference-mediated knockdown of Is86 genes did not show any influences on tick engorgement or B. burgdorferi sensu stricto persistence, the immunization of murine hosts with specific recombinant EGF antigens marginally reduced spirochete loads in the skin, in addition to affecting tick blood meal engorgement and molting. However, given the borderline impact of EGF immunization on tick engorgement and pathogen survival in the vector, it is unlikely that these antigens, at least in their current forms, could be developed as potential vaccines. Further investigations of the biological significance of Is86 (and other tick antigens) would enrich our knowledge of the intricate biology of ticks, including their interactions with resident pathogens, and contribute to the development of anti-tick measures to combat tick-borne illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juraj Koči
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. .,Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia. .,Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Sandhya Bista
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Payal Chirania
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Vipin Singh Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Ozlem Buyuktanir Yas
- Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Zeytinburnu, İstanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Daniel E Sonenshine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. .,Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA.
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11
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Klouwens MJ, Trentelman JJ, Ersoz JI, Nieves Marques Porto F, Sima R, Hajdusek O, Thakur M, Pal U, Hovius JW. Investigating BB0405 as a novel Borrelia afzelii vaccination candidate in Lyme borreliosis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4775. [PMID: 33637813 PMCID: PMC7910573 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84130-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BB0405 is a surface exposed Borrelia burgdorferi protein and its vaccination protected mice against B. burgdorferi infection. As BB0405 is highly conserved across different B. burgdorferi sensu lato species, we investigated whether vaccination with recombinant BB0405 or through intradermal bb0405 DNA tattoo vaccination could provide protection against different Borrelia species, specifically against Borrelia afzelii, the predominant B. burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies causing Lyme borreliosis across Eurasia. We immunized C3H/HeN mice with recombinant BB0405 or with a codon-optimized bb0405 DNA vaccine using the pVAC plasmid and immunized corresponding control groups mice with only adjuvant or empty vectors. We subsequently subjected these immunized mice to a tick challenge with B. afzelii CB43-infected Ixodes ricinus nymphs. Upon vaccination, recombinant BB0405 induced a high total IgG response, but bb0405 DNA vaccination did not elicit antibody responses. Both vaccine formulations did not provide protection against Borrelia afzelii strain CB43 after tick challenge. In an attempt to understand the lack of protection of the recombinant vaccine, we determined expression of BB0405 and showed that B. afzelii CB43 spirochetes significantly and drastically downregulate the expression of BB0405 protein at 37 °C compared to 33 °C, where as in B. burgdorferi B31 spirochetes expression levels remain unaltered. Vaccination with recombinant BB0405 was previously shown to protect against B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. Here we show that vaccination with either recombinant BB0405 (or non-immunogenic bb0405 DNA), despite being highly conserved among B. burgdorferi sl genospecies, does not provide cross-protection against B. afzelii, mostly likely due to downregulation of this protein in B. afzelii in the mammalian host.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Klouwens
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Multidisciplinary Lyme Borreliosis Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - J J Trentelman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J I Ersoz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - F Nieves Marques Porto
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R Sima
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - O Hajdusek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - M Thakur
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia- Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - U Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia- Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - J W Hovius
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Multidisciplinary Lyme Borreliosis Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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12
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Borrelia burgdorferi Surface Exposed GroEL Is a Multifunctional Protein. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10020226. [PMID: 33670728 PMCID: PMC7922809 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, has a large number of membrane proteins involved in a complex life cycle, that includes a tick vector and a vertebrate host. Some of these proteins also serve different roles in infection and dissemination of the spirochete in the mammalian host. In this spirochete, a number of proteins have been associated with binding to plasminogen or components of the extracellular matrix, which is important for tissue colonization and dissemination. GroEL is a cytoplasmic chaperone protein that has previously been associated with the outer membrane of Borrelia. A His-tag purified B. burgdorferi GroEL was used to generate a polyclonal rabbit antibody showing that GroEL also localizes in the outer membrane and is surface exposed. GroEL binds plasminogen in a lysine dependent manner. GroEL may be part of the protein repertoire that Borrelia successfully uses to establish infection and disseminate in the host. Importantly, this chaperone is readily recognized by sera from experimentally infected mice and rabbits. In summary, GroEL is an immunogenic protein that in addition to its chaperon role it may contribute to pathogenesis of the spirochete by binding to plasminogen and components of the extra cellular matrix.
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13
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Bista S, Singh P, Bernard Q, Yang X, Hart T, Lin YP, Kitsou C, Singh Rana V, Zhang F, Linhardt RJ, Zhnag K, Akins DR, Hritzo L, Kim Y, Grab DJ, Dumler JS, Pal U. A Novel Laminin-Binding Protein Mediates Microbial-Endothelial Cell Interactions and Facilitates Dissemination of Lyme Disease Pathogens. J Infect Dis 2021; 221:1438-1447. [PMID: 31758693 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi conserved gene products BB0406 and BB0405, members of a common B. burgdorferi paralogous gene family, share 59% similarity. Although both gene products can function as potential porins, only BB0405 is essential for infection. Here we show that, despite sequence homology and coexpression from the same operon, both proteins differ in their membrane localization attributes, antibody accessibility, and immunogenicity in mice. BB0406 is required for spirochete survival in mammalian hosts, particularly for the disseminated infection in distant organs. We identified that BB0406 interacts with laminin, one of the major constituents of the vascular basement membrane, and facilitates spirochete transmigration across host endothelial cell barriers. A better understanding of how B. burgdorferi transmigrates through dermal and tissue vascular barriers and establishes disseminated infections will contribute to the development of novel therapeutics to combat early infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Bista
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Preeti Singh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Quentin Bernard
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas Hart
- Department of Biological Science, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Biological Science, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, USA.,Department of Biomedical Science, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Vipin Singh Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Robert J Linhardt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.,Department of Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Kai Zhnag
- Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Darrin R Akins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Lucy Hritzo
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yuri Kim
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dennis J Grab
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - J Stephen Dumler
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland
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14
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Kuhn HW, Aranjuez GF, Jewett MW. The Borrelia burgdorferi infection critical BBK13 protein forms large oligomers in the spirochete membrane. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 537:1-6. [PMID: 33373861 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.12.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the leading tick-borne illness in the United States. However, due to, in part, to the significant number of proteins of unknown function encoded across the complex fragmented genome, the molecular mechanisms of B. burgdorferi infection remain largely undefined. Previous work identified the virulence determinant gene, bbk13, which is critical for B. burgdorferi's ability to establish a productive disseminated infection. BBK13 is an immunogenic, non-surface exposed protein of unknown function predicted to harbor an N-terminal transmembrane domain and annotated as a member of the SIMPL domain protein superfamily (PF04402). In eukaryotes, SIMPL domain proteins have been shown to contribute to NF-kappa-B signaling but have no known functions in prokaryotes. Herein we investigated the biochemical and biophysical properties of BBK13 toward elucidation of its function. Bioinformatics analysis revealed secondary and tertiary structural homology between BBK13 and two other prokaryotic SIMPL domain proteins for which the crystal structures have been solved, Brucella abortus BP26 and Campylobacter jejuni cjSLP. Furthermore, comparable to BP26, recombinant BBK13 self-assembled into multimeric complexes in vitro and endogenous BBK13 was found in large oligomeric complexes in the spirochete membrane. Together these data suggest that the oligomeric structure of BBK13 may be important for the molecular function of this critical infection protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter W Kuhn
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA; Present address: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - George F Aranjuez
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA
| | - Mollie W Jewett
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA.
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15
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Pal U, Kitsou C, Drecktrah D, Yaş ÖB, Fikrig E. Interactions Between Ticks and Lyme Disease Spirochetes. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2020; 42:113-144. [PMID: 33289683 DOI: 10.21775/cimb.042.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato causes Lyme borreliosis in a variety of animals and humans. These atypical bacterial pathogens are maintained in a complex enzootic life cycle that primarily involves a vertebrate host and Ixodes spp. ticks. In the Northeastern United States, I. scapularis is the main vector, while wild rodents serve as the mammalian reservoir host. As B. burgdorferi is transmitted only by I. scapularis and closely related ticks, the spirochete-tick interactions are thought to be highly specific. Various borrelial and arthropod proteins that directly or indirectly contribute to the natural cycle of B. burgdorferi infection have been identified. Discrete molecular interactions between spirochetes and tick components also have been discovered, which often play critical roles in pathogen persistence and transmission by the arthropod vector. This review will focus on the past discoveries and future challenges that are relevant to our understanding of the molecular interactions between B. burgdorferi and Ixodes ticks. This information will not only impact scientific advancements in the research of tick- transmitted infections but will also contribute to the development of novel preventive measures that interfere with the B. burgdorferi life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, 8075 Greenmead Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, 8075 Greenmead Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Özlem Büyüktanir Yaş
- Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Zeytinburnu, İstanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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16
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Abstract
Spirochetes form a separate phylum of bacteria with two membranes but otherwise unusual morphologies and envelope structures. Distinctive common features of Borrelia, Leptospira, and Treponema include the sequestration of flagella to the periplasm and thin peptidoglycan cell walls that are more closely associated with the inner membrane. Outer membrane compositions differ significantly between the genera. Leptospira most closely track Gram-negative bacteria due to the incorporation of lipopolysaccharides. Treponema and Borrelia outer membranes lack lipopolysaccharide, with treponemes expressing only a few outer membrane proteins and Borrelia displaying a dizzying diversity of abundant surface lipoproteins instead. Phylogenetic and experimental evidence indicates that spirochetes have adapted various modules of bacterial export and secretion pathways to build and maintain their envelopes. Export and insertion pathways in the inner membrane appear conserved, while spirochetal experimentation with various envelope architectures over time has led to variations in secretion pathways in the periplasm and outer membrane. Classical type I to III secretion systems have been identified, with demonstrated roles in drug efflux and export of flagellar proteins only. Unique activities of periplasmic proteases, including a C-terminal protease, are involved in maturation of some periplasmic proteins. Proper lipoprotein sorting within the periplasm appears to be dependent on functional Lol pathways that lack the outer membrane lipoprotein insertase LolB. The abundance of surface lipoproteins in Borrelia and detailed protein sorting studies suggest a lipoprotein secretion pathway that either extends Lol through the outer membrane or bypasses it altogether. Proteins can be released from cells in outer membrane vesicles or, rarely, as soluble proteins.
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17
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Membrane directed expression in Escherichia coli of BBA57 and other virulence factors from the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17606. [PMID: 31772280 PMCID: PMC6879480 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53830-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane-embedded proteins are critical to the establishment, survival and persistence in the host of the Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), but to date, there are no solved structures of transmembrane proteins representing these attractive therapeutic targets. All available structures from the genus Borrelia represent proteins expressed without a membrane-targeting signal peptide, thus avoiding conserved pathways that modify, fold and assemble membrane protein complexes. Towards elucidating structure and function of these critical proteins, we directed translocation of eleven expression-optimized Bb virulence factors, including the signal sequence, to the Escherichia coli membrane, of which five, BBA57, HtrA, BB0238, BB0323, and DipA, were expressed with C-terminal His-tags. P66 was also expressed using the PelB signal sequence fused to maltose binding protein. Membrane-associated BBA57 lipoprotein was solubilized by non-ionic and zwitterionic detergents. We show BBA57 translocation to the outer membrane, purification at a level sufficient for structural studies, and evidence for an α-helical multimer. Previous studies showed multiple critical roles of BBA57 in transmission, joint arthritis, carditis, weakening immune responses, and regulating other Bb outer surface proteins. In describing the first purification of membrane-translocated BBA57, this work will support subsequent studies that reveal the precise mechanisms of this important Lyme disease virulence factor.
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18
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Bernard Q, Thakur M, Smith AA, Kitsou C, Yang X, Pal U. Borrelia burgdorferi protein interactions critical for microbial persistence in mammals. Cell Microbiol 2018; 21:e12885. [PMID: 29934966 PMCID: PMC10082445 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease that persists in a complex enzootic life cycle, involving Ixodes ticks and vertebrate hosts. The microbe invades ticks and vertebrate hosts in spite of active immune surveillance and potent microbicidal responses, and establishes long-term infection utilising mechanisms that are yet to be unravelled. The pathogen can cause multi-system disorders when transmitted to susceptible mammalian hosts, including in humans. In the past decades, several studies identified a limited number of B. burgdorferi gene-products critical for pathogen persistence, transmission between the vectors and the host, and host-pathogen interactions. This review will focus on the interactions between B. burgdorferi proteins, as well as between microbial proteins and host components, protein and non-protein components, highlighting their roles in pathogen persistence in the mammalian host. A better understanding of the contributions of protein interactions in the microbial virulence and persistence of B. burgdorferi would support development of novel therapeutics against the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Bernard
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Meghna Thakur
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
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19
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Zhuang X, Yang X, Altieri AS, Nelson DC, Pal U. Borrelia burgdorferi surface-located Lmp1 protein processed into region-specific polypeptides that are critical for microbial persistence. Cell Microbiol 2018; 20:e12855. [PMID: 29749010 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
One of the Borrelia burgdorferi virulence determinants, annotated as Lmp1, is a surface-exposed, conserved, and potential multi-domain protein involved in various functions in spirochete infectivity. Lmp1 contributes to host-pathogen interactions and evasion of host adaptive immunity by spirochetes. Here, we show that in diverse B. burgdorferi species, Lmp1 exists as distinct, region-specific, and lower molecular mass polypeptides encompassing 1 or more domains, including independent N-terminal and middle regions and a combined middle and C-terminal region. These polypeptides originate from complex posttranslational maturation events, partly supported by a periplasmic serine protease termed as BbHtrA. Although spirochete persistence in mice is independently supported by domain-specific Lmp1 polypeptides, transmission of B. burgdorferi from ticks to mammals requires essential contributions from both N-terminal and middle regions. Interference with the functions of Lmp1 domains or their complex posttranslational maturation events may aid in development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat infection and transmission of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuran Zhuang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Amanda S Altieri
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD, USA.,National Institute for Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Daniel C Nelson
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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20
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Artificial Infection of Ticks with Borrelia burgdorferi Using a Microinjection Method and Their Detection In Vivo Using Quantitative PCR Targeting flaB RNA. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1690:105-114. [PMID: 29032540 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7383-5_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is maintained in nature by a tick-rodent infection cycle where it traverses and colonizes a variety of host and vector tissues. A tick-borne murine model has been developed to study Lyme disease in the laboratory, which has a substantial impact in advancing our knowledge of spirochete infectivity and pathogenesis. Here, we detail a microinjection-based method for rapid and efficient infection of ticks with B. burgdorferi. While laboratory generation of B. burgdorferi-infected nymphs via natural larval engorgement on infected hosts and subsequent molting could take several weeks to months, the microinjection-based infection procedure requires only a few hours to generate infected ticks and allows introduction of defined quantities of spirochetes, including mutant isolates that are attenuated for infection in mice and thus cannot be naturally acquired by ticks. We also describe a quantitative PCR-based protocol for the measurement of B. burgdorferi in tick and murine hosts targeting spirochete RNA that is highly efficient, reproducible, and a better surrogate of active infection.
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21
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Yang X, Thakur M, Koci J, Smith AA, Singh P, Zhuang X, Promnares K, Wang Y, Buyuktanir O, Pal U. Analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi Proteome and Protein-Protein Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1690:259-277. [PMID: 29032550 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7383-5_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The proteome of Borrelia burgdorferi undergoes dynamic alterations as the microbe cycles through and persists in diverse host or vector environments. Therefore, studies of B. burgdorferi proteome and protein-protein interactions, which play central roles in biological processes in diverse organisms, are critical in understanding biology and infectivity of spirochetes. Here, we describe the proteomic analysis of B. burgdorferi by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis followed by protein identification via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and database searching. We also describe assays for studying the interaction between borrelial proteins: a novel high-throughput luciferase assay, yeast two-hybrid assay, and a far-Western assay that are routinely used in our laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Meghna Thakur
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Juraj Koci
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Preeti Singh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Xuran Zhuang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kamoltip Promnares
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Proteomics Core Facility, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Ozlem Buyuktanir
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
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22
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Singh P, Verma D, Backstedt BT, Kaur S, Kumar M, Smith AA, Sharma K, Yang X, Azevedo JF, Gomes-Solecki M, Buyuktanir O, Pal U. Borrelia burgdorferi BBI39 Paralogs, Targets of Protective Immunity, Reduce Pathogen Persistence Either in Hosts or in the Vector. J Infect Dis 2017; 215:1000-1009. [PMID: 28453837 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi genome harbors several paralogous gene families (pgf) that can encode immunogenic proteins of unknown function. Protein-protein interaction assays using a transmission-blocking vaccine candidate, BBA52, as bait identified an interacting partner in spirochetes-a member of pgf 54, annotated as BBI39. We show that BBI39 is a surface-exposed membrane antigen that is immunogenic during spirochete infection, despite the gene being primarily transcribed in the vector with a transient expression in the host only at tick-bite sites. Immunization of rodents with BBI39, or a diverse paralog, BBI36, or their combination impaired pathogen acquisition by the vector, transmission from ticks to hosts, or induction of disease. High-titer BBI39 immunoglobulin G antibodies, which have borreliacidal properties, could be generated through routine subcutaneous or oral immunization, further highlighting use of BBI39 proteins as novel Lyme disease vaccines that can target pathogens in the host or in ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Singh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Deepshikha Verma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian T Backstedt
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Simarjot Kaur
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Manish Kumar
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kavita Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Maria Gomes-Solecki
- Immuno Technologies Inc., Memphis, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ozlem Buyuktanir
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland and Virginia-Maryland, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
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23
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Thakur M, Sharma K, Chao K, Smith AA, Herzberg O, Pal U. A protein-protein interaction dictates Borrelial infectivity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2932. [PMID: 28592866 PMCID: PMC5462797 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03279-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Two Borrelia burgdorferi interacting proteins, BB0238 and BB0323, play distinct roles in pathogen biology and infectivity although a significance of their interaction remained enigmatic. Here we identified the polypeptide segment essential for BB0238-BB0323 interaction and examined how it supports spirochete infectivity. We show that the interaction region in BB0323 requires amino acid residues 22-200, suggesting that the binding encompasses discontinuous protein segments. In contrast, the interaction region in BB0238 spans only 11 amino acids, residues 120-130. A deletion of these 11 amino acids neither alters the overall secondary structure of the protein, nor affects its stability or oligomerization property, however, it reduces the post-translational stability of the binding partner, BB0323. Mutant B. burgdorferi isolates producing BB0238 lacking the 11-amino acid interaction region were able to persist in ticks but failed to transmit to mice or to establish infection. These results suggest that BB0238-BB0323 interaction is critical for post-translational stability of BB0323, and that this interaction is important for mammalian infectivity and transmission of B. burgdorferi. We show that saturation or inhibition of BB0238-BB0323 interaction could be studied in a luciferase assay, which could be amenable for future identification of small molecule inhibitors to combat B. burgdorferi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Thakur
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kavita Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kinlin Chao
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Rockville, USA
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Osnat Herzberg
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Rockville, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA.
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24
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Kenedy MR, Scott EJ, Shrestha B, Anand A, Iqbal H, Radolf JD, Dyer DW, Akins DR. Consensus computational network analysis for identifying candidate outer membrane proteins from Borrelia spirochetes. BMC Microbiol 2016; 16:141. [PMID: 27400788 PMCID: PMC4939628 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-016-0762-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Similar to Gram-negative organisms, Borrelia spirochetes are dual-membrane organisms with both an inner and outer membrane. Although the outer membrane contains integral membrane proteins, few of the borrelial outer membrane proteins (OMPs) have been identified and characterized to date. Therefore, we utilized a consensus computational network analysis to identify novel borrelial OMPs. Results Using a series of computer-based algorithms, we selected all protein-encoding sequences predicted to be OM-localized and/or to form β-barrels in the borrelial OM. Using this system, we identified 41 potential OMPs from B. burgdorferi and characterized three (BB0838, BB0405, and BB0406) to confirm that our computer-based methodology did, in fact, identify borrelial OMPs. Triton X-114 phase partitioning revealed that BB0838 is found in the detergent phase, which would be expected of a membrane protein. Proteolysis assays indicate that BB0838 is partially sensitive to both proteinase K and trypsin, further indicating that BB0838 is surface-exposed. Consistent with a prior study, we also confirmed that BB0405 is surface-exposed and associates with the borrelial OM. Furthermore, we have shown that BB0406, the product of a co-transcribed downstream gene, also encodes a novel, previously uncharacterized borrelial OMP. Interestingly, while BB0406 has several physicochemical properties consistent with it being an OMP, it was found to be resistant to surface proteolysis. Consistent with BB0405 and BB0406 being OMPs, both were found to be capable of incorporating into liposomes and exhibit pore-forming activity, suggesting that both proteins are porins. Lastly, we expanded our computational analysis to identify OMPs from other borrelial organisms, including both Lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes. Conclusions Using a consensus computer algorithm, we generated a list of candidate OMPs for both Lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes and determined that three of the predicted B. burgdorferi proteins identified were indeed novel borrelial OMPs. The combined studies have identified putative spirochetal OMPs that can now be examined for their roles in virulence, physiology, and disease pathogenesis. Importantly, the studies described in this report provide a framework by which OMPs from any human pathogen with a diderm ultrastructure could be cataloged to identify novel virulence factors and vaccine candidates. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-016-0762-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisha R Kenedy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Edgar J Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Binu Shrestha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Arvind Anand
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, USA
| | - Henna Iqbal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Justin D Radolf
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, USA
| | - David W Dyer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Darrin R Akins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA.
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25
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de la Fuente J, Kopáček P, Lew-Tabor A, Maritz-Olivier C. Strategies for new and improved vaccines against ticks and tick-borne diseases. Parasite Immunol 2016; 38:754-769. [PMID: 27203187 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Ticks infest a variety of animal species and transmit pathogens causing disease in both humans and animals worldwide. Tick-host-pathogen interactions have evolved through dynamic processes that accommodated the genetic traits of the hosts, pathogens transmitted and the vector tick species that mediate their development and survival. New approaches for tick control are dependent on defining molecular interactions between hosts, ticks and pathogens to allow for discovery of key molecules that could be tested in vaccines or new generation therapeutics for intervention of tick-pathogen cycles. Currently, tick vaccines constitute an effective and environmentally sound approach for the control of ticks and the transmission of the associated tick-borne diseases. New candidate protective antigens will most likely be identified by focusing on proteins with relevant biological function in the feeding, reproduction, development, immune response, subversion of host immunity of the tick vector and/or molecules vital for pathogen infection and transmission. This review addresses different approaches and strategies used for the discovery of protective antigens, including focusing on relevant tick biological functions and proteins, reverse genetics, vaccinomics and tick protein evolution and interactomics. New and improved tick vaccines will most likely contain multiple antigens to control tick infestations and pathogen infection and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- J de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain.,Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - P Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - A Lew-Tabor
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, Australia.,Centre for Comparative Genomics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - C Maritz-Olivier
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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26
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Kung F, Kaur S, Smith AA, Yang X, Wilder CN, Sharma K, Buyuktanir O, Pal U. A Borrelia burgdorferi Surface-Exposed Transmembrane Protein Lacking Detectable Immune Responses Supports Pathogen Persistence and Constitutes a Vaccine Target. J Infect Dis 2016; 213:1786-95. [PMID: 26747708 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi harbors a limited set of transmembrane surface proteins, most of which constitute key targets of humoral immune responses. Here we show that BB0405, a conserved membrane-spanning protein of unknown function, fails to evoke detectable antibody responses despite its extracellular exposure. bb0405 is a member of an operon and ubiquitously expressed throughout the rodent-tick infection cycle. The gene product serves an essential function in vivo, as bb0405-deletion mutants are unable to transmit from ticks and establish infection in mammalian hosts. Despite the lack of BB0405-specific immunoglobulin M or immunoglobulin G antibodies during natural infection, mice immunized with a recombinant version of the protein elicited high-titer and remarkably long-lasting antibody responses, conferring significant host protection against tick-borne infection. Taken together, these studies highlight the essential role of an apparently immune-invisible borrelial transmembrane protein in facilitating infection and its usefulness as a target of protective host immunity blocking the transmission of B. burgdorferi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith Kung
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park
| | - Simarjot Kaur
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park
| | - Cara N Wilder
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park
| | - Kavita Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park
| | - Ozlem Buyuktanir
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park
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27
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Cheung CSF, Anderson KW, Benitez KYV, Soloski MJ, Aucott JN, Phinney KW, Turko IV. Quantification of Borrelia burgdorferi Membrane Proteins in Human Serum: A New Concept for Detection of Bacterial Infection. Anal Chem 2015; 87:11383-8. [PMID: 26491962 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b02803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. The low abundance of bacterial proteins in human serum during infection imposes a challenge for early proteomic detection of Lyme disease. To address this challenge, we propose to detect membrane proteins released from bacteria due to disruption of their plasma membrane triggered by the innate immune system. These membrane proteins can be separated from the bulk of serum proteins by high-speed centrifugation causing substantial sample enrichment prior to targeted protein quantification using multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry. This new approach was first applied to detection of B. burgdorferi membrane proteins supplemented in human serum. Our results indicated that detection of B. burgdorferi membrane proteins, which are ≈10(7) lower in abundance than major serum proteins, is feasible. Therefore, quantitative analysis was also carried out for serum samples from three patients with acute Lyme disease. We were able to demonstrate the detection of ospA, the major B. burgdorferi lipoprotein at the level of 4.0 fmol of ospA/mg of serum protein. The results confirm the concept and suggest that the proposed approach can be expanded to detect other bacterial infections in humans, particularly where existing diagnostics are unreliable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal S F Cheung
- Biomolecular Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Kyle W Anderson
- Biomolecular Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | | | - Mark J Soloski
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - John N Aucott
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Karen W Phinney
- Biomolecular Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Illarion V Turko
- Biomolecular Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
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28
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Coleman JL, Toledo A, Benach JL. Borrelia burgdorferi HtrA: evidence for twofold proteolysis of outer membrane protein p66. Mol Microbiol 2015; 99:135-50. [PMID: 26370492 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In prokaryotes, members of the High Temperature Requirement A (HtrA) family of serine proteases function in the periplasm to degrade damaged or improperly folded membrane proteins. Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, codes for a single HtrA homolog. Two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis of B. burgdorferi B31A3 and a strain that overexpresses HtrA (A3HtrAOE) identified a downregulated protein in A3HtrAOE with a mass, pI and MALDI-TOF spectrum consistent with outer membrane protein p66. P66 and HtrA from cellular lysates partitioned into detergent-resistant membranes, which contain cholesterol-glycolipid-rich membrane regions known as lipid rafts, suggesting that HtrA and p66 may reside together in lipid rafts also. This agrees with previous work from our laboratory, which showed that HtrA and p66 are constituents of B. burgdorferi outer membrane vesicles. HtrA degraded p66 in vitro and A3HtrAOE expressed reduced levels of p66 in vivo. Fluorescence confocal microscopy revealed that HtrA and p66 colocalize in the membrane. The association of HtrA and p66 establishes that they could interact efficiently and their protease/substrate relationship provides functional relevance to this interaction. A3HtrAOE also showed reduced levels of p66 transcript in comparison with wild-type B31A3, indicating that HtrA-mediated regulation of p66 may occur at multiple levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Coleman
- New York State Department of Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Alvaro Toledo
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jorge L Benach
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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29
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Borrelia burgdorferi elongation factor EF-Tu is an immunogenic protein during Lyme borreliosis. Emerg Microbes Infect 2015; 4:e54. [PMID: 26954993 PMCID: PMC5176084 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2015.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease, does not produce lipopolysaccharide but expresses a large number of lipoproteins on its cell surface. These outer membrane lipoproteins are highly immunogenic and have been used for serodiagnosis of Lyme disease. Recent studies have shown that highly conserved cytosolic proteins such as enolase and elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) unexpectedly localized on the surface of bacteria including B. burgdorferi, and surface-localized enolase has shown to contribute to the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi. In this study, we studied the immunogenicity, surface localization, and function of B. burgdorferi EF-Tu. We found that EF-Tu is highly immunogenic in mice, and EF-Tu antibodies were readily detected in Lyme disease patients. On the other hand, active immunization studies showed that EF-Tu antibodies did not protect mice from infection when challenged with B. burgdorferi via either needle inoculation or tick bites. Borrelial mouse-tick cycle studies showed that EF-Tu antibodies also did not block B. burgdorferi migration and survival in ticks. Consistent with these findings, we found that EF-Tu primarily localizes in the protoplasmic cylinder of spirochetes and is not on the surface of B. burgdorferi. Taken together, our studies suggest that B. burgdorferi EF-Tu is not surfaced exposed, but it is highly immunogenic and is a potential serodiagnostic marker for Lyme borreliosis.
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30
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Yang X, Lin YP, Heselpoth RD, Buyuktanir O, Qin J, Kung F, Nelson DC, Leong JM, Pal U. Middle region of the Borrelia burgdorferi surface-located protein 1 (Lmp1) interacts with host chondroitin-6-sulfate and independently facilitates infection. Cell Microbiol 2015; 18:97-110. [PMID: 26247174 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi surface-located membrane protein 1, also known as Lmp1, has been shown to play critical roles in pathogen evasion of host-acquired immune defences, thereby facilitating persistent infection. Lmp1 possesses three regions representing potentially discrete domains: Lmp1N, Lmp1M and Lmp1C. Because of its insignificant homology to known proteins, how Lmp1 or its specific regions contribute to microbial biology and infection remains enigmatic. Here, we show that distinct from Lmp1N and Lmp1C, Lmp1M is composed of at least 70% alpha helices and completely lacks recognizable beta sheets. The region binds to host glycosaminoglycan chondroitin-6-sulfate molecules and facilitates mammalian cell attachment, suggesting an adhesin function of Lmp1M. Phenotypic analysis of the Lmp1-deficient mutant engineered to produce Lmp1M on the microbial surface suggests that Lmp1M can independently support B. burgdorferi infectivity in murine hosts. Further exploration of functions of Lmp1 distinct regions will shed new light on the intriguing biology and infectivity of spirochetes and help develop novel interventions to combat Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
| | - Ryan D Heselpoth
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, 9600 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Ozlem Buyuktanir
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Jinhong Qin
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Faith Kung
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Daniel C Nelson
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, 9600 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - John M Leong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
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Dyer A, Brown G, Stejskal L, Laity PR, Bingham RJ. The Borrelia afzelii outer membrane protein BAPKO_0422 binds human factor-H and is predicted to form a membrane-spanning β-barrel. Biosci Rep 2015; 35:e00240. [PMID: 26181365 PMCID: PMC4613713 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20150095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The deep evolutionary history of the Spirochetes places their branch point early in the evolution of the diderms, before the divergence of the present day Proteobacteria. As a spirochete, the morphology of the Borrelia cell envelope shares characteristics of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A thin layer of peptidoglycan, tightly associated with the cytoplasmic membrane, is surrounded by a more labile outer membrane (OM). This OM is rich in lipoproteins but with few known integral membrane proteins. The outer membrane protein A (OmpA) domain is an eight-stranded membrane-spanning β-barrel, highly conserved among the Proteobacteria but so far unknown in the Spirochetes. In the present work, we describe the identification of four novel OmpA-like β-barrels from Borrelia afzelii, the most common cause of erythema migrans (EM) rash in Europe. Structural characterization of one these proteins (BAPKO_0422) by SAXS and CD indicate a compact globular structure rich in β-strand consistent with a monomeric β-barrel. Ab initio molecular envelopes calculated from the scattering profile are consistent with homology models and demonstrate that BAPKO_0422 adopts a peanut shape with dimensions 25×45 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm). Deviations from the standard C-terminal signature sequence are apparent; in particular the C-terminal phenylalanine residue commonly found in Proteobacterial OM proteins is replaced by isoleucine/leucine or asparagine. BAPKO_0422 is demonstrated to bind human factor H (fH) and therefore may contribute to immune evasion by inhibition of the complement response. Encoded by chromosomal genes, these proteins are highly conserved between Borrelia subspecies and may be of diagnostic or therapeutic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Dyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K
| | - Gemma Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K
| | - Lenka Stejskal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K
| | - Peter R Laity
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K. Present Address: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, U.K
| | - Richard J Bingham
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K.
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BB0744 Affects Tissue Tropism and Spatial Distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect Immun 2015; 83:3693-703. [PMID: 26150534 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00828-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, produces a variety of proteins that promote survival and colonization in both the Ixodes species vector and various mammalian hosts. We initially identified BB0744 (also known as p83/100) by screening for B. burgdorferi strain B31 proteins that bind to α1β1 integrin and hypothesized that, given the presence of a signal peptide, BB0744 may be a surface-exposed protein. In contrast to this expectation, localization studies suggested that BB0744 resides in the periplasm. Despite its subsurface location, we were interested in testing whether BB0744 is required for borrelial pathogenesis. To this end, a bb0744 deletion was isolated in a B. burgdorferi strain B31 infectious background, complemented, and queried for the role of BB0744 following experimental infection. A combination of bioluminescent imaging, cultivation of infected tissues, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) demonstrated that Δbb0744 mutant B. burgdorferi bacteria were attenuated in the ability to colonize heart tissue, as well as skin locations distal to the site of infection. Furthermore, qPCR indicated a significantly reduced spirochetal load in distal skin and joint tissue infected with Δbb0744 mutant B. burgdorferi. Complementation with bb0744 restored infectivity, indicating that the defect seen in Δbb0744 mutant B. burgdorferi was due to the loss of BB0744. Taken together, these results suggest that BB0744 is necessary for tissue tropism, particularly in heart tissue, alters the ability of B. burgdorferi to disseminate efficiently, or both. Additional studies are warranted to address the mechanism employed by BB0744 that alters the pathogenic potential of B. burgdorferi.
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Schnell G, Boeuf A, Jaulhac B, Boulanger N, Collin E, Barthel C, De Martino S, Ehret-Sabatier L. Proteomic analysis of three Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato native species and disseminating clones: relevance for Lyme vaccine design. Proteomics 2015; 15:1280-90. [PMID: 25475896 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201400177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is the most important vector-borne disease in the Northern hemisphere. It is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato bacteria transmitted to humans by the bite of hard ticks, Ixodes spp. Although antibiotic treatments are efficient in the early stage of the infection, a significant number of patients develop disseminated manifestations (articular, neurological, and cutaneous) due to unnoticed or absence of erythema migrans, or to inappropriate treatment. Vaccine could be an efficient approach to decrease Lyme disease incidence. We have developed a proteomic approach based on a one dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by LC-MS/MS strategy to identify new vaccine candidates. We analyzed a disseminating clone and the associated wild-type strain for each major pathogenic Borrelia species: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii. We identified specific proteins and common proteins to the disseminating clones of the three main species. In parallel, we used a spectral counting strategy to identify upregulated proteins common to the clones. Finally, 40 proteins were found that could potentially be involved in bacterial virulence and of interest in the development of a new vaccine. We selected the three proteins specifically detected in the disseminating clones of the three Borrelia species and checked by RT-PCR whether they are expressed in mouse skin upon B. burgdorferi ss inoculation. Interestingly, BB0566 appears as a potential vaccine candidate. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000876 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000876).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Schnell
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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Glew MD, Veith PD, Chen D, Seers CA, Chen YY, Reynolds EC. Blue native-PAGE analysis of membrane protein complexes in Porphyromonas gingivalis. J Proteomics 2014; 110:72-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2014.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Kariu T, Sharma K, Singh P, Smith AA, Backstedt B, Buyuktanir O, Pal U. BB0323 and novel virulence determinant BB0238: Borrelia burgdorferi proteins that interact with and stabilize each other and are critical for infectivity. J Infect Dis 2014; 211:462-71. [PMID: 25139020 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We have shown that Borrelia burgdorferi gene product BB0323 is essential for cell fission and pathogen persistence in vivo. Here we describe characterization of a conserved hypothetical protein annotated as BB0238, which specifically interacts with the N-terminal region of BB0323. We show that BB0238 is a subsurface protein, and similar to BB0323, exists in the periplasm and as a membrane-bound protein. Deletion of bb0238 in infectious B. burgdorferi did not affect microbial growth in vitro or survival in ticks, but the mutant was unable to persist in mice or transmit from ticks--defects that are restored on genetic complementation. Remarkably, BB0238 and BB0323 contribute to mutual posttranslational stability, because deletion of one causes dramatic reduction in the protein level of the other partner. Interference with the function of BB0238 or BB0323 and their interaction may provide novel strategies to combat B. burgdorferi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Kariu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Kavita Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Preeti Singh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Brian Backstedt
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Ozlem Buyuktanir
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park
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Groshong AM, Blevins JS. Insights into the biology of Borrelia burgdorferi gained through the application of molecular genetics. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2014; 86:41-143. [PMID: 24377854 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800262-9.00002-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the vector-borne bacterium that causes Lyme disease, was first identified in 1982. It is known that much of the pathology associated with Lyme borreliosis is due to the spirochete's ability to infect, colonize, disseminate, and survive within the vertebrate host. Early studies aimed at defining the biological contributions of individual genes during infection and transmission were hindered by the lack of adequate tools and techniques for molecular genetic analysis of the spirochete. The development of genetic manipulation techniques, paired with elucidation and annotation of the B. burgdorferi genome sequence, has led to major advancements in our understanding of the virulence factors and the molecular events associated with Lyme disease. Since the dawn of this genetic era of Lyme research, genes required for vector or host adaptation have garnered significant attention and highlighted the central role that these components play in the enzootic cycle of this pathogen. This chapter covers the progress made in the Borrelia field since the application of mutagenesis techniques and how they have allowed researchers to begin ascribing roles to individual genes. Understanding the complex process of adaptation and survival as the spirochete cycles between the tick vector and vertebrate host will lead to the development of more effective diagnostic tools as well as identification of novel therapeutic and vaccine targets. In this chapter, the Borrelia genes are presented in the context of their general biological roles in global gene regulation, motility, cell processes, immune evasion, and colonization/dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Groshong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Jon S Blevins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
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Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi contains unique cholesterol-glycolipid-rich lipid rafts that are associated with lipoproteins. These complexes suggest the existence of macromolecular structures that have not been reported for prokaryotes. Outer surface lipoproteins OspA, OspB, and OspC were studied for their participation in the formation of lipid rafts. Single-gene deletion mutants with deletions of ∆ospA, ∆ospB, and ∆ospC and a spontaneous gene mutant, strain B313, which does not express OspA and OspB, were used to establish their structural roles in the lipid rafts. All mutant strains used in this study produced detergent-resistant membranes, a common characteristic of lipid rafts, and had similar lipid and protein slot blot profiles. Lipoproteins OspA and OspB but not OspC were shown to be associated with lipid rafts by transmission electron microscopy. When the ability to form lipid rafts in live B. burgdorferi spirochetes was measured by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), strain B313 showed a statistically significant lower level of segregation into ordered and disordered membrane domains than did the wild-type and the other single-deletion mutants. The transformation of a B313 strain with a shuttle plasmid containing ospA restored the phenotype shared by the wild type and the single-deletion mutants, demonstrating that OspA and OspB have redundant functions. In contrast, a transformed B313 overexpressing OspC neither rescued the FRET nor colocalized with the lipid rafts. Because these lipoproteins are expressed at different stages of the life cycle of B. burgdorferi, their selective association is likely to have an important role in the structure of prokaryotic lipid rafts and in the organism’s adaptation to changing environments. Lipid rafts are cholesterol-rich clusters within the membranes of cells. Lipid rafts contain proteins that have functions in sensing the cell environment and transmitting signals. Although selective proteins are present in lipid rafts, little is known about their structural contribution to these domains. Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, has lipid rafts, which are novel structures in bacteria. Here, we have shown that the raft-associated lipoproteins OspA and OspB selectively contribute to lipid rafts. A similar but non-raft-associated lipoprotein, OspC, cannot substitute for the role of OspA and OspB. In this study, we have demonstrated that lipoprotein association with lipid rafts is selective, further suggesting a functional adaptation to different stages of the spirochete life cycle. The results of this study are of broader importance and can serve as a model for other bacteria that also possess cholesterol in their membranes and, therefore, may share lipid raft traits with Borrelia.
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Structural modeling and physicochemical characterization provide evidence that P66 forms a β-barrel in the Borrelia burgdorferi outer membrane. J Bacteriol 2013; 196:859-72. [PMID: 24317399 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01236-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Borrelia burgdorferi outer membrane (OM) contains numerous surface-exposed lipoproteins but a relatively low density of integral OM proteins (OMPs). Few membrane-spanning OMPs of B. burgdorferi have been definitively identified, and none are well characterized structurally. Here, we provide evidence that the borrelial OMP P66, a known adhesin with pore-forming activity, forms a β-barrel in the B. burgdorferi OM. Multiple computer-based algorithms predict that P66 forms a β-barrel with either 22 or 24 transmembrane domains. According to our predicted P66 topology, a lysine residue (K487) known to be sensitive to trypsin cleavage is located within a surface-exposed loop. When we aligned the mature P66 amino acid sequences from B. burgdorferi and B. garinii, we found that K487 was present only in the B. burgdorferi P66 protein sequence. When intact cells from each strain were treated with trypsin, only B. burgdorferi P66 was trypsin sensitive, indicating that K487 is surface exposed, as predicted. Consistent with this observation, when we inserted a c-Myc tag adjacent to K487 and utilized surface localization immunofluorescence, we detected the loop containing K487 on the surface of B. burgdorferi. P66 was examined by both Triton X-114 phase partitioning and circular dichroism, confirming that the protein is amphiphilic and contains extensive (48%) β-sheets, respectively. Moreover, P66 also was able to incorporate into liposomes and form channels in large unilamellar vesicles. Finally, blue native PAGE (BN-PAGE) revealed that under nondenaturing conditions, P66 is found in large complexes of ∼400 kDa and ∼600 kDa. Outer surface lipoprotein A (OspA) and OspB both coimmunoprecipitate with P66, demonstrating that P66 associates with OspA and OspB in B. burgdorferi. The combined computer-based structural analyses and supporting physicochemical properties of P66 provide a working model to further examine the porin and integrin-binding activities of this OMP as they relate to B. burgdorferi physiology and Lyme disease pathogenesis.
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Bárcena-Uribarri I, Thein M, Maier E, Bonde M, Bergström S, Benz R. Use of nonelectrolytes reveals the channel size and oligomeric constitution of the Borrelia burgdorferi P66 porin. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78272. [PMID: 24223145 PMCID: PMC3819385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, the outer membrane protein P66 is capable of pore formation with an atypical high single-channel conductance of 11 nS in 1 M KCl, which suggested that it could have a larger diameter than 'normal' Gram-negative bacterial porins. We studied the diameter of the P66 channel by analyzing its single-channel conductance in black lipid bilayers in the presence of different nonelectrolytes with known hydrodynamic radii. We calculated the filling of the channel with these nonelectrolytes and the results suggested that nonelectrolytes (NEs) with hydrodynamic radii of 0.34 nm or smaller pass through the pore, whereas neutral molecules with greater radii only partially filled the channel or were not able to enter it at all. The diameter of the entrance of the P66 channel was determined to be ≤1.9 nm and the channel has a central constriction of about 0.8 nm. The size of the channel appeared to be symmetrical as judged from one-sidedness of addition of NEs. Furthermore, the P66-induced membrane conductance could be blocked by 80-90% by the addition of the nonelectrolytes PEG 400, PEG 600 and maltohexaose to the aqueous phase in the low millimolar range. The analysis of the power density spectra of ion current through P66 after blockage with these NEs revealed no chemical reaction responsible for channel block. Interestingly, the blockage of the single-channel conductance of P66 by these NEs occurred in about eight subconductance states, indicating that the P66 channel could be an oligomer of about eight individual channels. The organization of P66 as a possible octamer was confirmed by Blue Native PAGE and immunoblot analysis, which both demonstrated that P66 forms a complex with a mass of approximately 460 kDa. Two dimension SDS PAGE revealed that P66 is the only polypeptide in the complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Bárcena-Uribarri
- School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Rudolf-Virchow-Center, DFG-Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Thein
- Rudolf-Virchow-Center, DFG-Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Elke Maier
- Rudolf-Virchow-Center, DFG-Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mari Bonde
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sven Bergström
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Roland Benz
- School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Rudolf-Virchow-Center, DFG-Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Leptospira interrogans enolase is secreted extracellularly and interacts with plasminogen. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78150. [PMID: 24205133 PMCID: PMC3799732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospira interrogans is the agent for leptospirosis, an important zoonosis in humans and animals across the globe. Surface proteins of invading pathogens, such as L. interrogans, are thought to be responsible for successful microbial persistence in vivo via interaction with specific host components. In particular, a number of invasive infectious agents exploit host proteolytic pathways, such as one involving plasminogen (Pg), which aid in efficient pathogen dissemination within the host. Here we show that L. interrogans serovar Lai binds host Pg and that the leptospiral gene product LA1951, annotated as enolase, is involved in this interaction. Interestingly, unlike in related pathogenic Spirochetes, such as Borrelia burgdorferi, LA1951 is not readily detectable in the L. interrogans outer membrane. We show that the antigen is indeed secreted extracellularly; however, it can reassociate with the pathogen surface, where it displays Pg-binding and measurable enzymatic activity. Hamsters infected with L. interrogans also develop readily detectable antibody responses against enolase. Taken together, our results suggest that the L. interrogans enolase has evolved to play a role in pathogen interaction with host molecules, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of leptospirosis.
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A chitin deacetylase-like protein is a predominant constituent of tick peritrophic membrane that influences the persistence of Lyme disease pathogens within the vector. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78376. [PMID: 24147133 PMCID: PMC3798397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis is the specific arthropod vector for a number of globally prevalent infections, including Lyme disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. A feeding-induced and acellular epithelial barrier, known as the peritrophic membrane (PM) is detectable in I. scapularis. However, whether or how the PM influences the persistence of major tick-borne pathogens, such as B. burgdorferi, remains largely unknown. Mass spectrometry-based proteome analyses of isolated PM from fed ticks revealed that the membrane contains a few detectable proteins, including a predominant and immunogenic 60 kDa protein with homology to arthropod chitin deacetylase (CDA), herein termed I. scapularisCDA-like protein or IsCDA. Although IsCDA is primarily expressed in the gut and induced early during tick feeding, its silencing via RNA interference failed to influence either the occurrence of the PM or spirochete persistence, suggesting a redundant role of IsCDA in tick biology and host-pathogen interaction. However, treatment of ticks with antibodies against IsCDA, one of the most predominant protein components of PM, affected B. burgdorferi survival, significantly augmenting pathogen levels within ticks but without influencing the levels of total gut bacteria. These studies suggested a preferential role of tick PM in limiting persistence of B. burgdorferi within the vector. Further understanding of the mechanisms by which vector components contribute to pathogen survival may help the development of new strategies to interfere with the infection.
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Yang X, Hegde S, Shroder DY, Smith AA, Promnares K, Neelakanta G, Anderson JF, Fikrig E, Pal U. The lipoprotein La7 contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi persistence in ticks and their transmission to naïve hosts. Microbes Infect 2013; 15:729-37. [PMID: 23774694 PMCID: PMC3769513 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Revised: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
La7, an immunogenic outer membrane lipoprotein of Borrelia burgdorferi, produced during infection, has been shown to play a redundant role in mammalian infectivity. Here we show that La7 facilitates pathogen survival in all tested phases of the vector-specific spirochete life cycle, including tick-to-host transmission. Unlike wild type or la7-complemented isolates, isogenic La7-deficient spirochetes are severely impaired in their ability to persist within feeding ticks during acquisition from mice, in quiescent ticks during larval-nymphal inter-molt, and in subsequent pathogen transmission from ticks to naïve hosts. Analysis of gene expression during the major stages of the tick-rodent infection cycle showed increased expression of la7 in the vector and a swift downregulation in the mammalian hosts. Co-immunoprecipitation studies coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis further suggested that La7, a highly conserved and abundant inner membrane protein, is involved in protein-protein interaction with a discrete set of borrelial ligands although biological significance of such interactions remains unclear. Further characterization of vector-induced membrane antigens like La7 and its interacting partners will likely aid in our understanding of the molecular details of B. burgdorferi persistence and transmission through a complex enzootic cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Shylaja Hegde
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Deborah Y. Shroder
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Alexis A. Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Kamoltip Promnares
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Girish Neelakanta
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - John F. Anderson
- Department of Entomology and Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, 06504
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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Russell TM, Johnson BJB. Lyme disease spirochaetes possess an aggrecan-binding protease with aggrecanase activity. Mol Microbiol 2013; 90:228-40. [PMID: 23710801 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Connective tissues are the most common area of colonization for the Lyme disease spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi. Colonization is aided by the interaction between numerous bacterial adhesins with components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here we describe a novel interaction between B. burgdorferi and the major ECM proteoglycan found in joints, aggrecan. Using affinity chromatography and mass spectrometry we identify two borrelial aggrecan-binding proteins: the known ECM ligand Bgp (BB0588) and an uncharacterized protease BbHtrA (BB0104). Proteinase K studies demonstrate that BbHtrA is surface exposed. Immunoblots using sera from patients with both early and late Lyme disease establish that BbHtrA is expressed during human disease, immunogenic, and conserved in the three major Lyme disease spirochaete species. Consequences of the interaction between aggrecan and BbHtrA were examined by proteolysis assays. BbHtrA cleaves aggrecan at a site known to destroy aggrecan function and which has been previously observed in the synovial fluid of patients with Lyme arthritis. These data demonstrate that B. burgdorferi possess aggrecan-binding proteins which may provide the organism with additional capability to colonize connective tissues. Moreover, our studies provide the first evidence that B. burgdorferi possess proteolytic activity which may contribute to the pathogenesis of Lyme arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa M Russell
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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44
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Kung F, Anguita J, Pal U. Borrelia burgdorferi and tick proteins supporting pathogen persistence in the vector. Future Microbiol 2013; 8:41-56. [PMID: 23252492 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.12.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, a pathogen transmitted by Ixodes ticks, is responsible for a prevalent illness known as Lyme disease, and a vaccine for human use is unavailable. Recently, genome sequences of several B. burgdorferi strains and Ixodes scapularis ticks have been determined. In addition, remarkable progress has been made in developing molecular genetic tools to study the pathogen and vector, including their intricate relationship. These developments are helping unravel the mechanisms by which Lyme disease pathogens survive in a complex enzootic infection cycle. Notable discoveries have already contributed to understanding the spirochete gene regulation accounting for the temporal and spatial expression of B. burgdorferi genes during distinct phases of the lifecycle. A number of pathogen and vector gene products have also been identified that contribute to microbial virulence and/or persistence. These research directions will enrich our knowledge of vector-borne infections and contribute towards the development of preventative strategies against Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith Kung
- Department of Veterinary Medicine & Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Kuzmanov U, Emili A. Protein-protein interaction networks: probing disease mechanisms using model systems. Genome Med 2013; 5:37. [PMID: 23635424 PMCID: PMC3706760 DOI: 10.1186/gm441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and multi-protein complexes perform central roles in the cellular systems of all living organisms. In humans, disruptions of the normal patterns of PPIs and protein complexes can be causative or indicative of a disease state. Recent developments in the biological applications of mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics have expanded the horizon for the application of systematic large-scale mapping of physical interactions to probe disease mechanisms. In this review, we examine the application of MS-based approaches for the experimental analysis of PPI networks and protein complexes, focusing on the different model systems (including human cells) used to study the molecular basis of common diseases such as cancer, cardiomyopathies, diabetes, microbial infections, and genetic and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uros Kuzmanov
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research and Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Andrew Emili
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research and Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
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Kariu T, Yang X, Marks CB, Zhang X, Pal U. Proteolysis of BB0323 results in two polypeptides that impact physiologic and infectious phenotypes in Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2013; 88:510-22. [PMID: 23489252 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi gene product BB0323 is required for cell fission and pathogen persistence in vivo. Here, we show that BB0323, which is conserved among globally prevalent infectious strains, supports normal spirochaete growth and morphology even at early phases of cell division. We demonstrate that native BB0323 undergoes proteolytic processing at the C-terminus, at a site after the first 202 N-terminal amino acids. We further identified a periplasmic BB0323 binding protein in B. burgdorferi, annotated as BB0104, having serine protease activity responsible for the primary cleavage of BB0323 to produce discrete N- and C-terminal polypeptides. These two BB0323 polypeptides interact with each other, and either individually or as a complex, are associated with multiple functions in spirochaete biology and infectivity. While N-terminal BB0323 is adequate to support cell fission, the C-terminal LysM domain is dispensable for this process, despite its ability to bind B. burgdorferi peptidoglycan. However, the LysM domain or the precisely processed BB0323 product is essential for mammalian infection. As BB0323 is a membrane protein crucial for B. burgdorferi survival in vivo, exploring its function may suggest novel ways to interrupt infection while enhancing our understanding of the intricate spirochaete fission process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Kariu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Lipid exchange between Borrelia burgdorferi and host cells. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003109. [PMID: 23326230 PMCID: PMC3542181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, has cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids that are essential for bacterial fitness, are antigenic, and could be important in mediating interactions with cells of the eukaryotic host. We show that the spirochetes can acquire cholesterol from plasma membranes of epithelial cells. In addition, through fluorescent and confocal microscopy combined with biochemical approaches, we demonstrated that B. burgdorferi labeled with the fluorescent cholesterol analog BODIPY-cholesterol or 3H-labeled cholesterol transfer both cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids to HeLa cells. The transfer occurs through two different mechanisms, by direct contact between the bacteria and eukaryotic cell and/or through release of outer membrane vesicles. Thus, two-way lipid exchange between spirochetes and host cells can occur. This lipid exchange could be an important process that contributes to the pathogenesis of Lyme disease. Lyme disease, the most prevalent arthropod-borne disease in North America, is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Cholesterol is a significant component of the B. burgdorferi membrane lipids, and is processed to make cholesterol-glycolipids. Our interest in the presence of cholesterol in B. burgdorferi recently led to the identification and characterization of eukaryotic-like lipid rafts in the spirochete. The presence of free cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids in B. burgdorferi creates an opportunity for lipid-lipid interactions with constituents of the lipid rafts in eukaryotic cells. We present evidence that there is a two-way exchange of lipids between B. burgdorferi and epithelial cells. Spirochetes are unable to synthesize cholesterol, but can acquire it from the plasma membrane of epithelial cells. In addition, free cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids from B. burgdorferi are transferred to epithelial cells through direct contact and through outer membrane vesicles. The exchange of cholesterol between spirochete and host could be an important aspect of the pathogenesis of Lyme disease.
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Walian PJ, Allen S, Shatsky M, Zeng L, Szakal ED, Liu H, Hall SC, Fisher SJ, Lam BR, Singer ME, Geller JT, Brenner SE, Chandonia JM, Hazen TC, Witkowska HE, Biggin MD, Jap BK. High-throughput isolation and characterization of untagged membrane protein complexes: outer membrane complexes of Desulfovibrio vulgaris. J Proteome Res 2012; 11:5720-35. [PMID: 23098413 PMCID: PMC3516867 DOI: 10.1021/pr300548d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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Cell membranes represent the “front line”
of cellular defense and the interface between a cell and its environment.
To determine the range of proteins and protein complexes that are
present in the cell membranes of a target organism, we have utilized
a “tagless” process for the system-wide isolation and
identification of native membrane protein complexes. As an initial
subject for study, we have chosen the Gram-negative sulfate-reducing
bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris. With this tagless
methodology, we have identified about two-thirds of the outer membrane-
associated proteins anticipated. Approximately three-fourths of these
appear to form homomeric complexes. Statistical and machine-learning
methods used to analyze data compiled over multiple experiments revealed
networks of additional protein–protein interactions providing
insight into heteromeric contacts made between proteins across this
region of the cell. Taken together, these results establish a D. vulgaris outer membrane protein data set that will be
essential for the detection and characterization of environment-driven
changes in the outer membrane proteome and in the modeling of stress
response pathways. The workflow utilized here should be effective
for the global characterization of membrane protein complexes in a
wide range of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Walian
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States.
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Lenhart TR, Kenedy MR, Yang X, Pal U, Akins DR. BB0324 and BB0028 are constituents of the Borrelia burgdorferi β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) complex. BMC Microbiol 2012; 12:60. [PMID: 22519960 PMCID: PMC3356241 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Similar to Gram-negative bacteria, the outer membrane (OM) of the pathogenic spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, contains integral OM-spanning proteins (OMPs), as well as membrane-anchored lipoproteins. Although the mechanism of OMP biogenesis is still not well-understood, recent studies have indicated that a heterooligomeric OM protein complex, known as BAM (β-barrel assembly machine) is required for proper assembly of OMPs into the bacterial OM. We previously identified and characterized the essential β-barrel OMP component of this complex in B. burgdorferi, which we determined to be a functional BamA ortholog. Results In the current study, we report on the identification of two additional protein components of the B. burgdorferi BAM complex, which were identified as putative lipoproteins encoded by ORFs BB0324 and BB0028. Biochemical assays with a BamA-depleted B. burgdorferi strain indicate that BB0324 and BB0028 do not readily interact with the BAM complex without the presence of BamA, suggesting that the individual B. burgdorferi BAM components may associate only when forming a functional BAM complex. Cellular localization assays indicate that BB0324 and BB0028 are OM-associated subsurface lipoproteins, and in silico analyses indicate that BB0324 is a putative BamD ortholog. Conclusions The combined data suggest that the BAM complex of B. burgdorferi contains unique protein constituents which differ from those found in other proteobacterial BAM complexes. The novel findings now allow for the B. burgdorferi BAM complex to be further studied as a model system to better our understanding of spirochetal OM biogenesis in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany R Lenhart
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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