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Strnad M, Rudenko N, Rego RO. Pathogenicity and virulence of Borrelia burgdorferi. Virulence 2023; 14:2265015. [PMID: 37814488 PMCID: PMC10566445 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2265015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi often triggers pathophysiologic perturbations that are further augmented by the inflammatory responses of the host, resulting in the severe clinical conditions of Lyme disease. While our apprehension of the spatial and temporal integration of the virulence determinants during the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi is constantly being improved, there is still much to be discovered. Many of the novel virulence strategies discussed in this review are undetermined. Lyme disease spirochaetes must surmount numerous molecular and mechanical obstacles in order to establish a disseminated infection in a vertebrate host. These barriers include borrelial relocation from the midgut of the feeding tick to its body cavity and further to the salivary glands, deposition to the skin, haematogenous dissemination, extravasation from blood circulation system, evasion of the host immune responses, localization to protective niches, and establishment of local as well as distal infection in multiple tissues and organs. Here, the various well-defined but also possible novel strategies and virulence mechanisms used by B. burgdorferi to evade obstacles laid out by the tick vector and usually the mammalian host during colonization and infection are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Strnad
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská, Czech Republic
| | - Natalie Rudenko
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O.M. Rego
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská, Czech Republic
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Čorak N, Anniko S, Daschkin-Steinborn C, Krey V, Koska S, Futo M, Široki T, Woichansky I, Opašić L, Kifer D, Tušar A, Maxeiner HG, Domazet-Lošo M, Nicolaus C, Domazet-Lošo T. Pleomorphic Variants of Borreliella (syn. Borrelia) burgdorferi Express Evolutionary Distinct Transcriptomes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5594. [PMID: 36982667 PMCID: PMC10057712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065594] [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: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Borreliella (syn. Borrelia) burgdorferi is a spirochete bacterium that causes tick-borne Lyme disease. Along its lifecycle B. burgdorferi develops several pleomorphic forms with unclear biological and medical relevance. Surprisingly, these morphotypes have never been compared at the global transcriptome level. To fill this void, we grew B. burgdorferi spirochete, round body, bleb, and biofilm-dominated cultures and recovered their transcriptomes by RNAseq profiling. We found that round bodies share similar expression profiles with spirochetes, despite their morphological differences. This sharply contrasts to blebs and biofilms that showed unique transcriptomes, profoundly distinct from spirochetes and round bodies. To better characterize differentially expressed genes in non-spirochete morphotypes, we performed functional, positional, and evolutionary enrichment analyses. Our results suggest that spirochete to round body transition relies on the delicate regulation of a relatively small number of highly conserved genes, which are located on the main chromosome and involved in translation. In contrast, spirochete to bleb or biofilm transition includes substantial reshaping of transcription profiles towards plasmids-residing and evolutionary young genes, which originated in the ancestor of Borreliaceae. Despite their abundance the function of these Borreliaceae-specific genes is largely unknown. However, many known Lyme disease virulence genes implicated in immune evasion and tissue adhesion originated in this evolutionary period. Taken together, these regularities point to the possibility that bleb and biofilm morphotypes might be important in the dissemination and persistence of B. burgdorferi inside the mammalian host. On the other hand, they prioritize the large pool of unstudied Borreliaceae-specific genes for functional characterization because this subset likely contains undiscovered Lyme disease pathogenesis genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Čorak
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sirli Anniko
- BCA-Research, BCA-Clinic Betriebs GmbH & Co. KG, D-86159 Augsburg, Germany
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK
| | | | - Viktoria Krey
- BCA-Research, BCA-Clinic Betriebs GmbH & Co. KG, D-86159 Augsburg, Germany
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems-E14, Physics Department and ZNN, Technische Universität München, D-85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Sara Koska
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Momir Futo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Unska 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tin Široki
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Unska 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Luka Opašić
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Kifer
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anja Tušar
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Horst-Günter Maxeiner
- BCA-Research, BCA-Clinic Betriebs GmbH & Co. KG, D-86159 Augsburg, Germany
- Comlamed, Friedrich-Bergius Ring 15, D-97076 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mirjana Domazet-Lošo
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Unska 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Carsten Nicolaus
- BCA-Research, BCA-Clinic Betriebs GmbH & Co. KG, D-86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Tomislav Domazet-Lošo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Kurniyati K, Chang Y, Guo W, Liu J, Malkowski MG, Li C. Anti-σ 28 Factor FlgM Regulates Flagellin Gene Expression and Flagellar Polarity of Treponema denticola. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0046322. [PMID: 36715541 PMCID: PMC9945498 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00463-22] [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: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
FlgM, an antagonist of FliA (also known as σ28), inhibits transcription of bacterial class 3 flagellar genes. It does so primarily through binding to free σ28 to prevent it from forming a complex with core RNA polymerase. We recently identified an FliA homolog (FliATd) in the oral spirochete Treponema denticola; however, its antagonist FlgM remained uncharacterized. Herein, we provide several lines of evidence that TDE0201 functions as an antagonist of FliATd. TDE0201 is structurally similar to FlgM proteins, although its sequence is not conserved. Heterologous expression of TDE0201 in Escherichia coli inhibits its flagellin gene expression and motility. Biochemical and mutational analyses demonstrate that TDE0201 binds to FliATd and prevents it from binding to the σ28-dependent promoter. Deletions of flgM genes typically enhance bacterial class 3 flagellar gene expression; however, deletion of TDE0201 has an opposite effect (e.g., the mutant has a reduced level of flagellins). Follow-up studies revealed that deletion of TDE0201 leads to FliATd turnover, which in turn impairs the expression of flagellin genes. Swimming plate, cell tracking, and cryo-electron tomography analyses further disclosed that deletion of TDE0201 impairs spirochete motility and alters flagellar number and polarity: i.e., instead of having bipolar flagella, the mutant has flagella only at one end of cells. Collectively, these results indicate that TDE0201 is a FlgM homolog but acts differently from its counterparts in other bacteria. IMPORTANCE Spirochetes are a group of bacteria that cause several human diseases. A unique aspect of spirochetes is that they have bipolar periplasmic flagella (PFs), which bestow on the spirochetes a unique spiral shape and distinct swimming behaviors. While the structure and function of PFs have been extensively studied in spirochetes, the molecular mechanism that regulates the PFs' morphogenesis and assembly is poorly understood. In this report, FlgM, an anti-σ28 factor, is identified and functionally characterized in the oral spirochete Treponema denticola. Our results show that FlgM regulates the number and polarity of PFs via a unique mechanism. Identification of FliA and FlgM in T. denticola sets a benchmark to investigate their roles in other spirochetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurni Kurniyati
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Yunjie Chang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Wangbiao Guo
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael G. Malkowski
- Department of Structural Biology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Chunhao Li
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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Jiang Q, Sherlock DN, Elolimy AA, Vailati-Riboni M, Yoon I, Loor JJ. Impact of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product during an intestinal barrier challenge in lactating Holstein cows on ileal microbiota and markers of tissue structure and immunity. J Anim Sci 2023; 101:skad309. [PMID: 37721866 PMCID: PMC10630188 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NutriTek, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) during periods of metabolic stress is beneficial to the health of dairy cows partially through its effect on the gut microbiota. Whether SCFP alters the ileal microbiota in lactating cows during intestinal challenges induced by feed restriction (FR) is not known. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to assess if feeding SCFP during FR to induce gut barrier dysfunction alters microbiota profiles in the ileum. The mRNA abundance of key genes associated with tissue structures and immunity was also detected. Multiparous cows (97.1 ± 7.6 days in milk (DIM); n = 7 per treatment) fed a control diet or the control plus 19 g/d NutriTek for 9 wk were subjected to an FR challenge for 5 d, during which they were fed 40% of their ad libitum intake from the 7 d before FR. All cows were slaughtered at the end of FR. DNA extracted from ileal digesta was subjected to PacBio Full-Length 16S rRNA gene sequencing. High-quality amplicon sequence analyses were performed with Targeted Amplicon Diversity Analysis and MicrobiomeAnalyst. Functional analysis was performed and analyzed using PICRUSt and STAMP. Feeding SCFP did not (P > 0.05) alter dry matter intake, milk yield, or milk components during FR. In addition, SCFP supplementation tended (P = 0.07) to increase the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bifidobacterium animalis. Compared with controls, feeding SCFP increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillales (P = 0.03). Gluconokinase, oligosaccharide reducing-end xylanase, and 3-hydroxy acid dehydrogenase were among the enzymes overrepresented (P < 0.05) in response to feeding SCFP. Cows fed SCFP had a lower representation of adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis I (early cobalt insertion) and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides de novo biosynthesis III (P < 0.05). Subsets of the Firmicutes genus, Bacteroidota phylum, and Treponema genus were correlated with the mRNA abundance of genes associated with ileal integrity (GCNT3, GALNT5, B3GNT3, FN1, ITGA2, LAMB2) and inflammation (AOX1, GPX8, CXCL12, CXCL14, CCL4, SAA3). Our data indicated that the moderate FR induced dysfunction of the ileal microbiome, but feeding SCFP increased the abundance of some beneficial gut probiotic bacteria and other species related to tissue structures and immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianming Jiang
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Danielle N Sherlock
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ahmed A Elolimy
- Animal Production Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | | | | | - Juan J Loor
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Identification and Characterization of the Alternative σ 28 Factor in Treponema denticola. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0024822. [PMID: 36043861 PMCID: PMC9487585 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00248-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
FliA (also known as σ28), a member of the bacterial σ70 family of transcription factors, directs RNA polymerase to flagellar late (class 3) promoters and initiates transcription. FliA has been studied in several bacteria, yet its role in spirochetes has not been established. In this report, we identify and functionally characterize a FliA homolog (TDE2683) in the oral spirochete Treponema denticola. Computational, genetic, and biochemical analyses demonstrated that TDE2683 has a structure similar to that of the σ28 of Escherichia coli, binds to σ28-dependent promoters, and can functionally replace the σ28 of E. coli. However, unlike its counterparts from other bacteria, TDE2683 cannot be deleted, suggesting its essential role in the survival of T. denticola. In vitro site-directed mutagenesis revealed that E221 and V231, two conserved residues in the σ4 region of σ28, are indispensable for the binding activity of TDE2683 to the σ28-dependent promoter. We then mutated these two residues in T. denticola and found that the mutations impair the expression of flagellin and chemotaxis genes and bacterial motility as well. Cryo-electron tomography analysis further revealed that the mutations disrupt the flagellar symmetry (i.e., number and placement) of T. denticola. Collectively, these results indicate that TDE2683 is a σ28 transcription factor that regulates the class 3 gene expression and controls the flagellar symmetry of T. denticola. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report establishing the functionality of FliA in spirochetes. IMPORTANCE Spirochetes are a group of medically important but understudied bacteria. One of the unique aspects of spirochetes is that they have periplasmic flagella (PF, also known as endoflagella) which give rise to their unique spiral shape and distinct swimming behaviors and play a critical role in the pathophysiology of spirochetes. PF are structurally similar to external flagella, but the underpinning mechanism that regulates PF biosynthesis and assembly remains largely unknown. By using the oral spirochete Treponema denticola as a model, this report provides several lines of evidence that FliA, a σ28 transcriptional factor, regulates the late flagellin gene (class 3) expression, PF assembly, and flagellar symmetry as well, which provides insights into flagellar regulation and opens an avenue to investigate the role of σ28 in spirochetes.
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Kurniyati K, Chang Y, Liu J, Li C. Transcriptional and functional characterizations of multiple flagellin genes in spirochetes. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:175-190. [PMID: 35776658 PMCID: PMC9481697 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The flagellar filament is a helical propeller for bacterial locomotion. In external flagellates, the filaments are mostly homopolymers of a single flagellin protein. By contrast, the flagellar filaments of spirochetes are mostly heteropolymers of multiple flagellin proteins. This report seeks to investigate the role of multiple flagellin proteins using the oral spirochete Treponema denticola as a model. First, biochemical and genetic studies uncover that the flagellar filaments of T. denticola mainly comprise four proteins, FlaA, FlaB1, FlaB2, and FlaB3, in a defined stoichiometry. Second, transcriptional analyses reveal that the genes encoding these four proteins are regulated by two different transcriptional factors, sigma28 and sigma70 . Third, loss-of-function studies demonstrate that each individual flagellin protein contributes to spirochete motility, but none of them is absolutely required. Last, we provide genetic and structural evidence that FlaA forms a "seam"-like structure around the core and that deletion of individual flagellin protein alters the flagellar homeostasis. Collectively, these results demonstrate that T. denticola has evolved a unique mechanism to finely regulate its flagellar filament gene expression and assembly which renders the organelle with the right number, shape, strength, and structure for its distinct motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurni Kurniyati
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of DentistryVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Yunjie Chang
- Microbial Sciences InstituteYale UniversityWest HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of Microbial PathogenesisYale School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Jun Liu
- Microbial Sciences InstituteYale UniversityWest HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of Microbial PathogenesisYale School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Chunhao Li
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of DentistryVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of MedicineVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
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Yoshinari NH, Bonoldi VLN, Bonin S, Falkingham E, Trevisan G. The Current State of Knowledge on Baggio–Yoshinari Syndrome (Brazilian Lyme Disease-like Illness): Chronological Presentation of Historical and Scientific Events Observed over the Last 30 Years. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11080889. [PMID: 36015013 PMCID: PMC9415174 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080889] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Baggio–Yoshinari Syndrome (BYS) is an emerging Brazilian tick-borne infectious disease that clinically mimics Lyme Disease (LD) present in the Northern Hemisphere. LD is caused by spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex and transmitted by Ixodid ticks of complex Ixodes rticinus. On the contrary, BYS is transmitted by hard Ixodid ticks of the genera Amblyomma, Rhipicephalus and Dermacentor. In 1992, the first cases of BYS were described in patients that developed EM rash, flu-like symptoms and arthritis after tick bite episodes. Since these findings, research in BYS has been developing for more than 30 years and shows that its epidemiological, clinical and laboratorial features are different from LD. Borrelia burgdorferi was never isolated in Brazil. In addition, specific serologic tests have shown little positivity. Furthermore, peripheral blood analysis of patients using electron microscopy exhibited structures resembling spirochete-like microorganisms or the latent forms of spirochetes (L form or cell wall deficient bacteria). For these reasons, Brazilian zoonosis was defined as an exotic and emerging Brazilian infectious disease, transmitted by ticks not belonging to the Ixodes ricinus complex, caused by latent spirochetes belonging to the B. burgdorferi sensu lato complex with atypical morphology. The Brazilian ecosystem, combined with its ticks and reservoir biodiversity, possibly contributed to the origin of this new zoonosis, which emerged as a result of the passage of B. burgdorferi through exotic vectors and reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalino Hajime Yoshinari
- Reumatologia, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-220, Brazil
| | - Virginia Lucia Nazario Bonoldi
- Reumatologia, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-220, Brazil
| | - Serena Bonin
- DSM—Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-040-3993266
| | - Erica Falkingham
- DSM—Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giusto Trevisan
- DSM—Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
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Hromníková D, Furka D, Furka S, Santana JAD, Ravingerová T, Klöcklerová V, Žitňan D. Prevention of tick-borne diseases: challenge to recent medicine. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022; 77:1533-1554. [PMID: 35283489 PMCID: PMC8905283 DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00966-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Ticks represent important vectors and reservoirs of pathogens, causing a number of diseases in humans and animals, and significant damage to livestock every year. Modern research into protection against ticks and tick-borne diseases focuses mainly on the feeding stage, i.e. the period when ticks take their blood meal from their hosts during which pathogens are transmitted. Physiological functions in ticks, such as food intake, saliva production, reproduction, development, and others are under control of neuropeptides and peptide hormones which may be involved in pathogen transmission that cause Lyme borreliosis or tick-borne encephalitis. According to current knowledge, ticks are not reservoirs or vectors for the spread of COVID-19 disease. The search for new vaccination methods to protect against ticks and their transmissible pathogens is a challenge for current science in view of global changes, including the increasing migration of the human population. Highlights • Tick-borne diseases have an increasing incidence due to climate change and increased human migration • To date, there is no evidence of transmission of coronavirus COVID-19 by tick as a vector • To date, there are only a few modern, effective, and actively- used vaccines against ticks or tick-borne diseases • Neuropeptides and their receptors expressed in ticks may be potentially used for vaccine design
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Hromníková
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Furka
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84104 Bratislava, SK Slovakia
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Samuel Furka
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84104 Bratislava, SK Slovakia
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Julio Ariel Dueñas Santana
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Matanzas, Km 3 Carretera a Varadero, 44740 Matanzas, CU Cuba
| | - Táňa Ravingerová
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vanda Klöcklerová
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žitňan
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Trevisan G, Cinco M, Trevisini S, di Meo N, Chersi K, Ruscio M, Forgione P, Bonin S. Borreliae Part 1: Borrelia Lyme Group and Echidna-Reptile Group. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10101036. [PMID: 34681134 PMCID: PMC8533607 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Borreliae are spirochaetes, which represent a heterogeneous phylum within bacteria. Spirochaetes are indeed distinguished from other bacteria for their spiral shape, which also characterizes Borreliae. This review describes briefly the organization of the phylum Spirocheteales with a digression about its pathogenicity and historical information about bacteria isolation and characterization. Among spirochaetes, Borrelia genus is here divided into three groups, namely the Lyme group (LG), the Echidna-Reptile group (REPG) and the Relapsing Fever group (RFG). Borreliae Part 1 deals with Lyme group and Echidna-Reptile group Borreliae, while the subject of Borreliae Part 2 is Relapsing Fever group and unclassified Borreliae. Lyme group Borreliae is organized here in sections describing ecology, namely tick vectors and animal hosts, epidemiology, microbiology, and Borrelia genome organization and antigen characterization. Furthermore, the main clinical manifestations in Lyme borreliosis are also described. Although included in the Lyme group due to their particular clinical features, Borrelia causing Baggio Yoshinari syndrome and Borrelia mayonii are described in dedicated paragraphs. The Borrelia Echidna-Reptile group has been recently characterized including spirochaetes that apparently are not pathogenic to humans, but infect reptiles and amphibians. The paragraph dedicated to this group of Borreliae describes their vectors, hosts, geographical distribution and their characteristics. Abstract Borreliae are divided into three groups, namely the Lyme group (LG), the Echidna-Reptile group (REPG) and the Relapsing Fever group (RFG). Currently, only Borrelia of the Lyme and RF groups (not all) cause infection in humans. Borreliae of the Echidna-Reptile group represent a new monophyletic group of spirochaetes, which infect amphibians and reptiles. In addition to a general description of the phylum Spirochaetales, including a brief historical digression on spirochaetosis, in the present review Borreliae of Lyme and Echidna-Reptile groups are described, discussing the ecology with vectors and hosts as well as microbiological features and molecular characterization. Furthermore, differences between LG and RFG are discussed with respect to the clinical manifestations. In humans, LG Borreliae are organotropic and cause erythema migrans in the early phase of the disease, while RFG Borreliae give high spirochaetemia with fever, without the development of erythema migrans. With respect of LG Borreliae, recently Borrelia mayonii, with intermediate characteristics between LG and RFG, has been identified. As part of the LG, it gives erythema migrans but also high spirochaetemia with fever. Hard ticks are vectors for both LG and REPG groups, but in LG they are mostly Ixodes sp. ticks, while in REPG vectors do not belong to that genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusto Trevisan
- DSM—Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (G.T.); (N.d.M.)
| | - Marina Cinco
- DSV—Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Sara Trevisini
- ASUGI—Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (S.T.); (K.C.); (M.R.)
| | - Nicola di Meo
- DSM—Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (G.T.); (N.d.M.)
- ASUGI—Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (S.T.); (K.C.); (M.R.)
| | - Karin Chersi
- ASUGI—Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (S.T.); (K.C.); (M.R.)
| | - Maurizio Ruscio
- ASUGI—Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (S.T.); (K.C.); (M.R.)
| | - Patrizia Forgione
- UOSD Dermatologia, Centro Rif. Regionale Malattia di Hansen e Lyme, P.O. dei Pellegrini, ASL Napoli 1 Centro, 80145 Naples, Italy;
| | - Serena Bonin
- DSM—Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (G.T.); (N.d.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-040-3993266
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10
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Hart TM, Dupuis AP, Tufts DM, Blom AM, Starkey SR, Rego ROM, Ram S, Kraiczy P, Kramer LD, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Host tropism determination by convergent evolution of immunological evasion in the Lyme disease system. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009801. [PMID: 34324600 PMCID: PMC8354441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens possess the ability to adapt and survive in some host species but not in others-an ecological trait known as host tropism. Transmitted through ticks and carried mainly by mammals and birds, the Lyme disease (LD) bacterium is a well-suited model to study such tropism. Three main causative agents of LD, Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, vary in host ranges through mechanisms eluding characterization. By feeding ticks infected with different Borrelia species, utilizing feeding chambers and live mice and quail, we found species-level differences in bacterial transmission. These differences localize on the tick blood meal, and specifically complement, a defense in vertebrate blood, and a polymorphic bacterial protein, CspA, which inactivates complement by binding to a host complement inhibitor, Factor H (FH). CspA selectively confers bacterial transmission to vertebrates that produce FH capable of allele-specific recognition. CspA is the only member of the Pfam54 gene family to exhibit host-specific FH-binding. Phylogenetic analyses revealed convergent evolution as the driver of such uniqueness, and that FH-binding likely emerged during the last glacial maximum. Our results identify a determinant of host tropism in Lyme disease infection, thus defining an evolutionary mechanism that shapes host-pathogen associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle M. Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna M. Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Simon R. Starkey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Institute for Genomic Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
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11
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Seshu J, Moy BE, Ingle TM. Transformation of Borrelia burgdorferi. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e61. [PMID: 33661557 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Transformation techniques used to genetically manipulate Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, play a critical role in generating mutants that facilitate analyses of the role of genes in the pathophysiology of this bacterium. A number of borrelial mutants have been successfully isolated and characterized since the first electrotransformation procedure was established 25 years ago (Samuels, 1995). This article is directed at additional considerations for transforming infectious B. burgdorferi to generate strains retaining the plasmid profile of the parental strain, enabling analysis of transformants for in vitro and in vivo phenotypes. These methods are built on previously published protocols and are intended to add steps and tips to enhance transformation efficiency and recovery of strains amenable for studies involving colonization, survival, and transmission of B. burgdorferi during the vector and vertebrate phases of infection. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Preparation of stock cultures, propagation of spirochetes, and analysis of plasmid profiles Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of plasmid and linear DNA templates for transformation Basic Protocol 3: Transformation of B. burgdorferi Basic Protocol 4: Antibiotic selection of borrelial transformants Basic Protocol 5: Isolation of borrelial transformants in agar overlays Basic Protocol 6: Complementation of mutant borrelial strains in cis or in trans.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Seshu
- Department of Biology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Brian E Moy
- Department of Biology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Taylor MacMackin Ingle
- Department of Biology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
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12
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Strnad M, Rego ROM. The need to unravel the twisted nature of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex across Europe. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 166:428-435. [PMID: 32125267 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne infection caused by bacteria under the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, both in Europe and North America. Differential gene expression at different times throughout its infectious cycle allows the spirochete to survive very diverse environments within different mammalian hosts as well as the tick vector. To date, the vast majority of data about spirochetal proteins and their functions are from genetic studies carried out on North American strains of a single species, i.e. B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. The whole-genome sequences recently obtained for several European species/strains make it feasible to adapt and use genetic techniques to study inherent differences between them. This review highlights the crucial need to undertake independent studies of genospecies within Europe, given their varying genetic content and pathogenic potential, and differences in clinical manifestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Strnad
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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13
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Abstract
Genetic studies in Borrelia require special consideration of the highly segmented genome, complex growth requirements and evolutionary distance of spirochetes from other genetically tractable bacteria. Despite these challenges, a robust molecular genetic toolbox has been constructed to investigate the biology and pathogenic potential of these important human pathogens. In this review we summarize the tools and techniques that are currently available for the genetic manipulation of Borrelia, including the relapsing fever spirochetes, viewing them in the context of their utility and shortcomings. Our primary objective is to help researchers discern what is feasible and what is not practical when thinking about potential genetic experiments in Borrelia. We have summarized published methods and highlighted their critical elements, but we are not providing detailed protocols. Although many advances have been made since B. burgdorferi was first transformed over 25 years ago, some standard genetic tools remain elusive for Borrelia. We mention these limitations and why they persist, if known. We hope to encourage investigators to explore what might be possible, in addition to optimizing what currently can be achieved, through genetic manipulation of Borrelia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A. Rosa
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St. Hamilton, MT 59840 USA
| | - Mollie W. Jewett
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, 6900 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, FL 32827 USA
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14
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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 PMCID: PMC8045411 DOI: 10.21775/cimb.042.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [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
- Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, 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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15
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Kamp HD, Swanson KA, Wei RR, Dhal PK, Dharanipragada R, Kern A, Sharma B, Sima R, Hajdusek O, Hu LT, Wei CJ, Nabel GJ. Design of a broadly reactive Lyme disease vaccine. NPJ Vaccines 2020; 5:33. [PMID: 32377398 PMCID: PMC7195412 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-020-0183-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing global health concern, Lyme disease has become the most common tick-borne disease in the United States and Europe. Caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl), this disease can be debilitating if not treated promptly. Because diagnosis is challenging, prevention remains a priority; however, a previously licensed vaccine is no longer available to the public. Here, we designed a six component vaccine that elicits antibody (Ab) responses against all Borrelia strains that commonly cause Lyme disease in humans. The outer surface protein A (OspA) of Borrelia was fused to a bacterial ferritin to generate self-assembling nanoparticles. OspA-ferritin nanoparticles elicited durable high titer Ab responses to the seven major serotypes in mice and non-human primates at titers higher than a previously licensed vaccine. This response was durable in rhesus macaques for more than 6 months. Vaccination with adjuvanted OspA-ferritin nanoparticles stimulated protective immunity from both B. burgdorferi and B. afzelii infection in a tick-fed murine challenge model. This multivalent Lyme vaccine offers the potential to limit the spread of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Aurelie Kern
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111 USA
| | - Bijaya Sharma
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111 USA
| | - Radek Sima
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Linden T. Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111 USA
| | - Chih-Jen Wei
- Sanofi, 640 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 01239 USA
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16
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The Factor H-Binding Site of CspZ as a Protective Target against Multistrain, Tick-Transmitted Lyme Disease. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00956-19. [PMID: 32122944 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00956-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is the causative agent of Lyme disease (LD). The spirochetes produce the CspZ protein that binds to a complement regulator, factor H (FH). Such binding downregulates activation of host complement to facilitate spirochete evasion of complement killing. However, vaccination with CspZ does not protect against LD infection. In this study, we demonstrated that immunization with CspZ-YA, a CspZ mutant protein with no FH-binding activity, protected mice from infection by several spirochete genotypes introduced via tick feeding. We found that the sera from CspZ-YA-vaccinated mice more efficiently eliminated spirochetes and blocked CspZ FH-binding activity than sera from CspZ-immunized mice. We also found that vaccination with CspZ, but not CspZ-YA, triggered the production of anti-FH antibodies, justifying CspZ-YA as an LD vaccine candidate. The mechanistic and efficacy information derived from this study provides insights into the development of a CspZ-based LD vaccine.
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17
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Mason C, Thompson C, Ouyang Z. DksA plays an essential role in regulating the virulence of Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2020; 114:172-183. [PMID: 32227372 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA, together with the alarmone nucleotides (p)ppGpp, mediates the stringent response to nutrient starvation in Borrelia burgdorferi. To date, the contribution of DksA to B. burgdorferi infection remains unknown. We report here that DksA is essential for B. burgdorferi to infect a mammalian host. dksA expression was highly induced during infection. Moreover, a dksA-deficient mutant was incapable of infecting mice. The mutant displayed growth defects when cultured in vitro and resistance to osmotic pressure was markedly reduced. These phenotypes were fully restored to those of the wild type when dksA mutation was complemented. We further showed that DksA controlled the expression of virulence-associated lipoprotein OspC, likely via the central alternative sigma factor RpoS. Synthesis of RpoS was abolished in the dksA mutant, but rpoS transcription remained unaffected. Additionally, we found that the expression of clpX, clpA, clpP, and clpP2 was significantly increased in the mutant, suggesting that DksA may post-transcriptionally regulate rpoS expression via its effect on ClpXP and/or ClpAP proteases. These combined data demonstrate that DksA regulates B. burgdorferi virulence at least partially through its influence on RpoS and OspC. This study thus elucidates that, in addition to function as a stringent response regulator, DksA promotes the transcription and/or translation of genes contributing to B. burgdorferi infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Mason
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Christina Thompson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Zhiming Ouyang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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18
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Lin YP, Yu Y, Marcinkiewicz AL, Lederman P, Hart TM, Zhang F, Linhardt RJ. Non-anticoagulant Heparin as a Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Prevents Lyme Disease Infection. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:503-514. [PMID: 31961652 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl). After transmission to humans by ticks, Bbsl spreads to multiple organs, leading to arthritis, carditis, and neuroborreliosis. No effective prophylaxis against human LD prior to tick exposure is currently available. Thus, a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against LD is needed. The establishment of LD bacteria at diverse sites is dictated partly by the binding of Bbsl to proteoglycans (PGs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in tissues. The drug heparin is structurally similar to these GAGs and inhibits Bbsl attachment to PGs, GAGs, cells, and tissues, suggesting its potential to prevent LD. However, the anticoagulant activity of heparin often results in hemorrhage, hampering the development of this compound as LD PrEP. We have previously synthesized a non-anticoagulant version of heparin (NACH), which was verified for safety in mice and humans. Here, we showed that NACH blocks Bbsl attachment to PGs, GAGs, and mammalian cells. We also found that treating mice with NACH prior to the exposure of ticks carrying Bbsl followed by continuous administration of this compound prevents tissue colonization by Bbsl. Furthermore, NACH-treated mice develop greater levels of IgG and IgM against Bbsl at early stages of infection, suggesting that the upregulation of antibody immune responses may be one of the mechanisms for NACH-mediated LD prevention. This is one of the first studies examining the ability of a heparin-based compound to prevent LD prior to tick exposure. The information presented might also be extended to prevent other infectious diseases agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, 120 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Yanlei Yu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Ashley L. Marcinkiewicz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, 120 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
| | - Patricia Lederman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, 120 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
| | - Thomas M. Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, 120 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
- Department of Biological Science, State University of New York at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, United States
- Departments of Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, United States
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19
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Răileanu C, Tauchmann O, Vasić A, Wöhnke E, Silaghi C. Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) identification and survey of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks from north-eastern Germany. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:106. [PMID: 32106890 PMCID: PMC7045458 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3969-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and the main vector for Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). It is involved also in the transmission of Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete that causes health disorders in humans. Little is known regarding the circulation of Borrelia species and the natural foci of TBEV in north-eastern Germany. The goal of this study was to investigate the infection rates of Borrelia spp. and of TBEV in I. ricinus ticks from north-eastern Germany. Methods Ticks were collected by flagging from 14 forest sites in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania between April and October 2018. RNA and DNA extraction was performed from individual adult ticks and from pools of 2–10 nymphs. Real time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) targeted the 3′ non-coding region of TBEV, while DNA of Borrelia spp. was tested by nested PCR for the amplification of 16S-23S intergenic spacer. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on B. miyamotoi isolates. Results In total, 2407 ticks were collected (239 females, 232 males and 1936 nymphs). Female and male I. ricinus ticks had identical infection rates (both 12.1%) for Borrelia spp., while nymphal pools showed a minimum infection rate (MIR) of 3.3%. Sequencing revealed four Borrelia species: B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. valaisiana and B. miyamotoi. Borrelia afzelii had the highest prevalence in adult ticks (5.5%) and nymphs (MIR of 1.8%). Borrelia miyamotoi was identified in 3.0% of adults and registered the MIR of 0.8% in nymphs. Borrelia valaisiana was confirmed in 2.5% adult ticks and nymphs had the MIR of 0.7%, while B. garinii was present in 1.1% of adults and showed a MIR of 0.1% in nymphs. The MLST of B. miyamotoi isolates showed that they belong to sequence type 635. No tick sample was positive after RT-qPCR for TBEV RNA. Conclusions The prevalence of B. miyamotoi in I. ricinus ticks registered similar levels to other reports from Europe suggesting that this agent might be well established in the local tick population. The detection of B. burgdorferi (s.l.) indicates a constant circulation in tick populations from this region.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Răileanu
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Oliver Tauchmann
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ana Vasić
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Wöhnke
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.,Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. .,Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. .,Department of Biology, University of Greifswald, Domstrasse 11, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
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20
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Zhang K, He J, Cantalano C, Guo Y, Liu J, Li C. FlhF regulates the number and configuration of periplasmic flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2020; 113:1122-1139. [PMID: 32039533 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi has 7-11 periplasmic flagella (PF) that arise from the cell poles and extend toward the midcell as a flat-ribbon, which is distinct from other bacteria. FlhF, a signal recognition particle (SRP)-like GTPase, has been found to regulate the flagellar number and polarity; however, its role in B. burgdorferi remains unknown. B. burgdorferi has an FlhF homolog (BB0270). Structural and biochemical analyses show that BB0270 has a similar structure and enzymatic activity as its counterparts from other bacteria. Genetics and cryo-electron tomography studies reveal that deletion of BB0270 leads to mutant cells that have less PF (4 ± 2 PF per cell tip) and fail to form a flat-ribbon, indicative of a role of BB0270 in the control of PF number and configuration. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that BB0270 localizes at the cell poles and controls the number and position of PF via regulating the flagellar protein stability and the polar localization of the MS-ring protein FliF. Our study not only provides the detailed characterizations of BB0270 and its profound impacts on flagellar assembly, morphology and motility in B. burgdorferi, but also unveils mechanistic insights into how spirochetes control their unique flagellar patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhang
- Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jun He
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Claudio Cantalano
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Youzhong Guo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chunhao Li
- Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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21
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Lin YP, Frye AM, Nowak TA, Kraiczy P. New Insights Into CRASP-Mediated Complement Evasion in the Lyme Disease Enzootic Cycle. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:1. [PMID: 32083019 PMCID: PMC7002432 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD), which is caused by genospecies of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern hemisphere. Spirochetes are transmitted by Ixodes ticks and maintained in diverse vertebrate animal hosts. Following tick bite, spirochetes initially establish a localized infection in the skin. However, they may also disseminate hematogenously to several distal sites, including heart, joints, or the CNS. Because they need to survive in diverse microenvironments, from tick vector to mammalian hosts, spirochetes have developed multiple strategies to combat the numerous host defense mechanisms. One of these strategies includes the production of a number of complement-regulator acquiring surface proteins (CRASPs) which encompass CspA, CspZ, and OspE paralogs to blunt the complement pathway. These proteins are capable of preventing complement activation on the spirochete surface by binding to complement regulator Factor H. The genes encoding these CRASPs differ in their expression patterns during the tick-to-host infection cycle, implying that these proteins may exhibit different functions during infection. This review summarizes the recent published reports which investigated the roles that each of these molecules plays in conferring tick-borne transmission and dissemination in vertebrate hosts. These findings offer novel mechanistic insights into LD pathobiology and may facilitate the identification of new targets for preventive strategies against Lyme borreliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Amber M. Frye
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Tristan A. Nowak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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22
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Jackson-Litteken CD, Zalud AK, Ratliff CT, Latham JI, Bourret TJ, Lopez JE, Blevins JS. Assessing the Contribution of an HtrA Family Serine Protease During Borrelia turicatae Mammalian Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:290. [PMID: 31456953 PMCID: PMC6700303 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), characterized by recurring febrile episodes, is globally distributed and among the most common bacterial infections in some African countries. Despite the public health concern that this disease represents, little is known regarding the virulence determinants required by TBRF Borrelia during infection. Because the chromosomes of TBRF Borrelia show extensive colinearity with those of Lyme disease (LD) Borrelia, the exceptions represent unique genes encoding proteins that are potentially essential to the disparate enzootic cycles of these two groups of spirochetes. One such exception is a gene encoding an HtrA family protease, BtpA, that is present in TBRF Borrelia, but not in LD spirochetes. Previous work suggested that btpA orthologs may be important for resistance to stresses faced during mammalian infection. Herein, proteomic analyses of the TBRF spirochete, Borrelia turicatae, demonstrated that BtpA, as well as proteins encoded by adjacent genes in the B. turicatae genome, were produced in response to culture at mammalian body temperature, suggesting a role in mammalian infection. Further, transcriptional analyses revealed that btpA was expressed with the genes immediately upstream and downstream as part of an operon. To directly assess if btpA is involved in resistance to environmental stresses, btpA deletion mutants were generated. btpA mutants demonstrated no growth defect in response to heat shock, but were more sensitive to oxidative stress produced by t-butyl peroxide compared to wild-type B. turicatae. Finally, btpA mutants were fully infectious in a murine relapsing fever (RF) infection model. These results indicate that BtpA is either not required for mammalian infection, or that compensatory mechanisms exist in TBRF spirochetes to combat environmental stresses encountered during mammalian infection in the absence of BtpA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clay D. Jackson-Litteken
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Amanda K. Zalud
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - C. Tyler Ratliff
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Jacob I. Latham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Travis J. Bourret
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Section of Tropical Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jon S. Blevins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States,*Correspondence: Jon S. Blevins
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Abstract
The spirochetes Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi and Borrelia hermsii, the etiologic agents of Lyme disease and relapsing fever, respectively, cycle in nature between an arthropod vector and a vertebrate host. They have extraordinarily unusual genomes that are highly segmented and predominantly linear. The genetic analyses of Lyme disease spirochetes have become increasingly more sophisticated, while the age of genetic investigation in the relapsing fever spirochetes is just dawning. Molecular tools available for B. burgdorferi and related species range from simple selectable markers and gene reporters to state-of-the-art inducible gene expression systems that function in the animal model and high-throughput mutagenesis methodologies, despite nearly overwhelming experimental obstacles. This armamentarium has empowered borreliologists to build a formidable genetic understanding of the cellular physiology of the spirochete and the molecular pathogenesis of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
| | - D Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
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24
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Zhang K, Qin Z, Chang Y, Liu J, Malkowski MG, Shipa S, Li L, Qiu W, Zhang JR, Li C. Analysis of a flagellar filament cap mutant reveals that HtrA serine protease degrades unfolded flagellin protein in the periplasm of Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2019; 111:1652-1670. [PMID: 30883947 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Unlike external flagellated bacteria, spirochetes have periplasmic flagella (PF). Very little is known about how PF are assembled within the periplasm of spirochaetal cells. Herein, we report that FliD (BB0149), a flagellar cap protein (also named hook-associated protein 2), controls flagellin stability and flagellar filament assembly in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Deletion of fliD leads to non-motile mutant cells that are unable to assemble flagellar filaments and pentagon-shaped caps (10 nm in diameter, 12 nm in length). Interestingly, FlaB, a major flagellin protein of B. burgdorferi, is degraded in the fliD mutant but not in other flagella-deficient mutants (i.e., in the hook, rod, or MS-ring). Biochemical and genetic studies reveal that HtrA, a serine protease of B. burgdorferi, controls FlaB turnover. Specifically, HtrA degrades unfolded but not polymerized FlaB, and deletion of htrA increases the level of FlaB in the fliD mutant. Collectively, we propose that the flagellar cap protein FliD promotes flagellin polymerization and filament growth in the periplasm. Deletion of fliD abolishes this process, which leads to leakage of unfolded FlaB proteins into the periplasm where they are degraded by HtrA, a protease that prevents accumulation of toxic products in the periplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhang
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Research Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VI, 23298, USA
| | - Zhuan Qin
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Yunjie Chang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Michael G Malkowski
- Department of Structural Biology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Saimtun Shipa
- Department of Biological Sciences, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Li Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Weigang Qiu
- Department of Biological Sciences, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Jing-Ren Zhang
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chunhao Li
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Research Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VI, 23298, USA
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25
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Pukhovskaya NM, Morozova OV, Vysochina NP, Belozerova NB, Ivanov LI. Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Borrelia miyamotoi in ixodid ticks in the Far East of Russia. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019; 8:192-202. [PMID: 30891399 PMCID: PMC6403414 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) DNA was detected by PCR in Ixodes persulcatus Schulze, 1930, Haemaphysalis concinna Koch, 1844, Haemaphysalis japonica douglasi Nuttall et Warburton, 1915 and Dermacentor silvarum Olenev, 1932 ticks collected in the Amur region, the Jewish Autonomous region, the Sakhalin region and on the Khabarovsk territory. Infection rate of I. persulcatus with B. burgdorferi s.l. 10-69% exceeded the corresponding values of three other tick species in all examined regions during 1999-2014 despite different tick abundance and dominance structure. Bacterial loads estimated on the base of quantitative real time PCR varied from 102 to 109 genome-equivalents per a tick with maximal values for I. persulcatus and H. japonica. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene and 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer nucleotide sequences revealed two species: 1) Borrelia garinii of Asian type NT29 with several isolates of European type 20047; 2) Borrelia afzelii with identical sequences of the majority of studied isolates and VS461 reference strain in all regions except the Sakhalin Island where B. afzelii was not found. Borrelia miyamotoi of the relapsing fever group was detected as monoinfection or in combination with B. burgdorferi s.l. in 4.0 ± 0.9% and 4.8 ± 0.9% I. persulcatus ticks, respectively. Multiple locus sequence analysis of three fragments of 16S rRNA, glpQ and p66 genes proved that all the Far Eastern B. miyamotoi isolates belonged to the Asian type identical to FR64b strain (GenBank CP004217) from Japan. Wide distribution of Borrelia DNA in ticks, relative genetic homogeneity with similar sequences of the coding regions and the intergenic spacer of Borrelia wild isolates and temporal stability with high homology levels of the Far Eastern isolates of B. garinii, B. afzelii and B. miyamotoi with previously described spirochetes from the surrounding regions of Russia, China and Japan allowed us to suggest multiple ecological niches as the stability factor of the parasitic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia M. Pukhovskaya
- Khabarovsk antiplague station Rospotrebnadzor, 7 Sanitarny Bystreet, 680037, Khabarovsk, Russia
| | - Olga V. Morozova
- D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of the National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of N.F. Gamaleya, 16 Gamaleya Street, 123098, Moscow, Russia
- Federal Research Clinical Center of Physico-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of the Russian Federation, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, 119435, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nelya P. Vysochina
- Khabarovsk antiplague station Rospotrebnadzor, 7 Sanitarny Bystreet, 680037, Khabarovsk, Russia
| | - Nadejda B. Belozerova
- Khabarovsk antiplague station Rospotrebnadzor, 7 Sanitarny Bystreet, 680037, Khabarovsk, Russia
| | - Leonid I. Ivanov
- Khabarovsk antiplague station Rospotrebnadzor, 7 Sanitarny Bystreet, 680037, Khabarovsk, Russia
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26
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Tufts DM, Hart TM, Chen GF, Kolokotronis SO, Diuk-Wasser MA, Lin YP. Outer surface protein polymorphisms linked to host-spirochete association in Lyme borreliae. Mol Microbiol 2019; 111:868-882. [PMID: 30666741 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is caused by multiple species of the spirochete bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The spirochetes are transmitted by ticks to vertebrate hosts, including small- and medium-sized mammals, birds, reptiles, and humans. Strain-to-strain variation in host-specific infectivity has been documented, but the molecular basis that drives this differentiation is still unclear. Spirochetes possess the ability to evade host immune responses and colonize host tissues to establish infection in vertebrate hosts. In turn, hosts have developed distinct levels of immune responses when invaded by different species/strains of Lyme borreliae. Similarly, the ability of Lyme borreliae to colonize host tissues varies among different spirochete species/strains. One potential mechanism that drives this strain-to-strain variation of immune evasion and colonization is the polymorphic outer surface proteins produced by Lyme borreliae. In this review, we summarize research on strain-to-strain variation in host competence and discuss the evidence that supports the role of spirochete-produced protein polymorphisms in driving this variation in host specialization. Such information will provide greater insights into the adaptive mechanisms driving host and Lyme borreliae association, which will lead to the development of interventions to block pathogen spread and eventually reduce Lyme borreliosis health burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas M Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Grace F Chen
- Department of Biology, Misericordia University, Dallas, PA, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
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27
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Takacs CN, Kloos ZA, Scott M, Rosa PA, Jacobs-Wagner C. Fluorescent Proteins, Promoters, and Selectable Markers for Applications in the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:e01824-18. [PMID: 30315081 PMCID: PMC6275353 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01824-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most widely reported vector-borne disease in the United States. Its incidence is rapidly increasing, and disease symptoms can be debilitating. The need to understand the biology of the disease agent, the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is thus evermore pressing. Despite important advances in B. burgdorferi genetics, the array of molecular tools available for use in this organism remains limited, especially for cell biological studies. Here, we adapt a palette of bright and mostly monomeric fluorescent proteins for versatile use and multicolor imaging in B. burgdorferi We also characterize two novel antibiotic selection markers and establish the feasibility of their use in conjunction with extant markers. Last, we describe a set of promoters of low and intermediate strengths that allow fine-tuning of gene expression levels. These molecular tools complement and expand current experimental capabilities in B. burgdorferi, which will facilitate future investigation of this important human pathogen. To showcase the usefulness of these reagents, we used them to investigate the subcellular localization of BB0323, a B. burgdorferi lipoprotein essential for survival in the host and vector environments. We show that BB0323 accumulates at the cell poles and future division sites of B. burgdorferi cells, highlighting the complex subcellular organization of this spirochete.IMPORTANCE Genetic manipulation of the Lyme disease spirochete B. burgdorferi remains cumbersome, despite significant progress in the field. The scarcity of molecular reagents available for use in this pathogen has slowed research efforts to study its unusual biology. Of interest, B. burgdorferi displays complex cellular organization features that have yet to be understood. These include an unusual morphology and a highly fragmented genome, both of which are likely to play important roles in the bacterium's transmission, infectivity, and persistence. Here, we complement and expand the array of molecular tools available for use in B. burgdorferi by generating and characterizing multiple fluorescent proteins, antibiotic selection markers, and promoters of varied strengths. These tools will facilitate investigations in this important human pathogen, as exemplified by the polar and midcell localization of the cell envelope regulator BB0323, which we uncovered using these reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin N Takacs
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Zachary A Kloos
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Microbiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Molly Scott
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Patricia A Rosa
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Christine Jacobs-Wagner
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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28
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Moon KH, Zhao X, Xu H, Liu J, Motaleb MA. A tetratricopeptide repeat domain protein has profound effects on assembly of periplasmic flagella, morphology and motility of the lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:634-647. [PMID: 30303576 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Spirochetes possess a unique periplasmic flagellar motor component called the collar. However, little is known about the composition or function of the flagellar collar proteins. To identify a collar protein, we have inactivated almost all genes annotated as motility-related in the Borrelia burgdorferi genome and identified only FlbB, which comprises the base of the collar. Since the major components of the collar complex remained unidentified, we took advantage of a protein-protein interaction map developed in another spirochete, Treponema pallidum to identify proteins of unknown function that could be collar proteins. Subsequently, using various comprehensive approaches, we identified a tetratricopeptide repeat protein BB0236 as a potential candidate for the collar. Biochemical assays indicated that FlbB interacts with BB0236. Furthermore, ∆bb0236 mutant analyses indicated that BB0236 is crucial for collar structure assembly, cellular morphology, motility, orientation of periplasmic flagella and assembly of other flagellar structures. Moreover, using comparative motor analyses, we propose how the collar structure is assembled in B. burgdorferi. Together, our studies provide new insights into the organization and the complex assembly inherent to the unique spirochetal collar structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hwan Moon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06536, USA
| | - Md A Motaleb
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
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29
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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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30
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Abstract
Signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) is a functional genomics approach to identify bacterial virulence determinants and virulence factors by simultaneously screening multiple mutants in a single host animal, and has been utilized extensively for the study of bacterial pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, and spirochete and tick biology. The signature-tagged transposon mutagenesis has been developed to investigate virulence determinants and pathogenesis of Borrelia burgdorferi. Mutants in genes important in virulence are identified by negative selection in which the mutants fail to colonize or disseminate in the animal host and tick vector. STM procedure combined with Luminex Flex®Map™ technology and next-generation sequencing (e.g., Tn-seq) are the powerful high-throughput tools for the determination of Borrelia burgdorferi virulence determinants. The assessment of multiple tissue sites and two DNA resources at two different time points using Luminex Flex®Map™ technology provides a robust data set. B. burgdorferi transposon mutant screening indicates that a high proportion of genes are the novel virulence determinants that are required for mouse and tick infection. In this protocol, an effective signature-tagged Himar1-based transposon suicide vector was developed and used to generate a sequence-defined library of nearly 4800 mutants in the infectious B. burgdorferi B31 clone. In STM, signature-tagged suicide vectors are constructed by inserting unique DNA sequences (tags) into the transposable elements. The signature-tagged transposon mutants are generated when transposon suicide vectors are transformed into an infectious B. burgdorferi clone, and the transposable element is transposed into the 5'-TA-3' sequence in the B. burgdorferi genome with the signature tag. The transposon library is created and consists of many sub-libraries, each sub-library has several hundreds of mutants with same tags. A group of mice or ticks are infected with a mixed population of mutants with different tags, after recovered from different tissues of infected mice and ticks, mutants from output pool and input pool are detected using high-throughput, semi-quantitative Luminex® FLEXMAP™ or next-generation sequencing (Tn-seq) technologies. Thus far, we have created a high-density, sequence-defined transposon library of over 6600 STM mutants for the efficient genome-wide investigation of genes and gene products required for wild-type pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, in vitro growth, in vivo survival, physiology, morphology, chemotaxis, motility, structure, metabolism, gene regulation, plasmid maintenance and replication, etc. The insertion sites of 4480 transposon mutants have been determined. About 800 predicted protein-encoding genes in the genome were disrupted in the STM transposon library. The infectivity and some functions of 800 mutants in 500 genes have been determined. Analysis of these transposon mutants has yielded valuable information regarding the genes and gene products important in the pathogenesis and biology of B. burgdorferi and its tick vectors.
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31
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Selection of Borrelia burgdorferi Promoter Sequences Active During Mammalian Infection Using In Vivo Expression Technology. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1690:137-154. [PMID: 29032543 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7383-5_12] [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: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
In vivo expression technology (IVET) has been applied to a variety of organisms to identify active promoters in specific environments or growth conditions of interest. Here, we describe modifications to employ this genome-wide screening method for Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete, during an active murine infection. Utilization of this technique provides valuable insights into the B. burgdorferi transcriptome during infection, despite the low bacterial numbers in the mammalian host environment.
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32
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Hart T, Nguyen NTT, Nowak NA, Zhang F, Linhardt RJ, Diuk-Wasser M, Ram S, Kraiczy P, Lin YP. Polymorphic factor H-binding activity of CspA protects Lyme borreliae from the host complement in feeding ticks to facilitate tick-to-host transmission. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007106. [PMID: 29813137 PMCID: PMC5993331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), the causative agent of Lyme disease, establishes an initial infection in the host's skin following a tick bite, and then disseminates to distant organs, leading to multisystem manifestations. Tick-to-vertebrate host transmission requires that Bbsl survives during blood feeding. Complement is an important innate host defense in blood and interstitial fluid. Bbsl produces a polymorphic surface protein, CspA, that binds to a complement regulator, Factor H (FH) to block complement activation in vitro. However, the role that CspA plays in the Bbsl enzootic cycle remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that different CspA variants promote spirochete binding to FH to inactivate complement and promote serum resistance in a host-specific manner. Utilizing a tick-to-mouse transmission model, we observed that a cspA-knockout B. burgdorferi is eliminated from nymphal ticks in the first 24 hours of feeding and is unable to be transmitted to naïve mice. Conversely, ectopically producing CspA derived from B. burgdorferi or B. afzelii, but not B. garinii in a cspA-knockout strain restored spirochete survival in fed nymphs and tick-to-mouse transmission. Furthermore, a CspA point mutant, CspA-L246D that was defective in FH-binding, failed to survive in fed nymphs and at the inoculation site or bloodstream in mice. We also allowed those spirochete-infected nymphs to feed on C3-/- mice that lacked functional complement. The cspA-knockout B. burgdorferi or this mutant strain complemented with cspA variants or cspA-L246D was found at similar levels as wild type B. burgdorferi in the fed nymphs and mouse tissues. These novel findings suggest that the FH-binding activity of CspA protects spirochetes from complement-mediated killing in fed nymphal ticks, which ultimately allows Bbsl transmission to mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hart
- Department of Biological Science, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Ngoc Thien Thu Nguyen
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nancy A. Nowak
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, United States of America
- Departments of Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Science, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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33
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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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34
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Hart T, Yang X, Pal U, Lin YP. Identification of Lyme borreliae proteins promoting vertebrate host blood-specific spirochete survival in Ixodes scapularis nymphs using artificial feeding chambers. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1057-1063. [PMID: 29653905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis, the most common vector-borne illness in Europe and the United States, is caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex and transmitted by Ixodes ticks. In humans, the spirochetes disseminate from the tick bite site to multiple tissues, leading to serious clinical manifestations. The ability of spirochetes to survive in ticks during blood feeding is thought to be essential for Lyme borreliae to be transmitted to different vertebrate hosts. This ability is partly attributed to several B. burgdorferi proteins, including BBA52 and Lp6.6, which promote spirochete survival in nymphal ticks feeding on mice. One of the strategies to identify such proteins without using live animals is to feed B. burgdorferi-infected ticks on blood via artificial feeding chambers. In previous studies, ticks were only fed on bovine blood in the feeding chambers. In this study, we used this chamber model and showed that I. scapularis ticks will not only acquire bovine blood but human and quail blood as well. The latter two are the incidental host and an avian host of Lyme borreliae, respectively. We also investigated the roles that BBA52 and Lp6.6 play in promoting spirochete survival in nymphal ticks fed on human or quail blood. After feeding on human blood, spirochete burdens in ticks infected with an lp6.6-deficient B. burgdorferi were significantly reduced, while bba52-deficient spirochete burdens in ticks remained unchanged, similar to the wild-type strain. No strain showed a change in spirochete burdens in ticks fed on quail blood. These results indicate that Lp6.6 plays a role for B. burgdorferi in nymphs fed on human but not quail blood. Such information also demonstrates that the artificial feeding chamber is a powerful tool to identify B. burgdorferi proteins that promote vertebrate host blood-specific spirochete survival in I. scapularis ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.
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35
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Wills MKB, Kirby AM, Lloyd VK. Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29443061 PMCID: PMC5912355 DOI: 10.3791/56471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is a serious vector-borne infection that is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato family of spirochetes, which are transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Ixodes ticks. The primary etiological agent in North America is Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. As geographic risk regions expand, it is prudent to support robust surveillance programs that can measure tick infection rates, and communicate findings to clinicians, veterinarians, and the general public. The molecular technique of nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) has long been used for this purpose, and it remains a central, inexpensive, and robust approach in the detection of Borrelia in both ticks and wildlife. This article demonstrates the application of nPCR to tick DNA extracts to identify infected specimens. Two independent B. burgdorferi targets, genes encoding Flagellin B (FlaB) and Outer surface protein A (OspA), have been used extensively with this technique. The protocol involves tick collection, DNA extraction, and then an initial round of PCR to detect each of the two Borrelia-specific loci. Subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) uses the product of the first reaction as a new template to generate smaller, internal amplification fragments. The nested approach improves upon both the specificity and sensitivity of conventional PCR. A tick is considered positive for the pathogen when inner amplicons from both Borrelia genes can be detected by agarose gel electrophoresis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vett K Lloyd
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University;
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36
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Alasel M, Keusgen M. Promising alternatives for one-tier testing of Lyme borreliosis. Clin Chim Acta 2018; 479:148-154. [PMID: 29366833 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2018.01.030] [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: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A main focus of human health studies is the early detection of infectious diseases to enable more rapid treatment and prevent disease transmission. Diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis has been always challenging because of the lack of specific, but simple assay formats. Two-tiered testing has been recommended by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide more specific results for diagnosis of Lyme disease. However, such a technique is time consuming and is not well suited for early stage detection. Therefore, many tests were proposed as alternatives to overcome these drawbacks. Simple assays, which are mainly performed in one-tier manner, could be conducted with better performance than the two-tiered testing. Proposed assays utilize both newly identified antigens and new platforms to improve detection performance. These assays can be classified into those based on employing a single antigen and assays based on using multiple antigens. In addition to assays to this type of assays, immunoassays on borreliosis-related biomarkers are available. We report here the most recent assays developed over the last 10 years, for detection of Lyme borreliosis in body fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Alasel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-Universität, Marbacher Weg 6-10, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Michael Keusgen
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-Universität, Marbacher Weg 6-10, 35032 Marburg, Germany
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37
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Abstract
The disciplines of Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi microbiology and Lyme disease pathogenesis have come to depend on the genetic manipulation of the spirochete. Generating mutants in these recalcitrant bacteria, while not straightforward, is routinely accomplished in numerous laboratories, although there are several crucial caveats to consider. This chapter describes the design of basic molecular genetic experiments as well as the detailed methodologies to prepare and transform competent cells, select for and isolate transformants, and complement or genetically restore mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.
| | - Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Laura S Hall
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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38
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Abstract
Mutational studies aimed at characterizing the function(s) of bacterial genes required for growth or viability are constrained by the inability to generate deletion strains lacking the gene of interest. To circumvent this limitation, it is possible to generate conditional mutants in which a copy of the gene of interest is introduced into the bacteria to compensate for the loss of the native allele. Expression of the non-native copy of the target gene is typically under control of an inducible promoter, which allows for controllable and regulated production of the gene of interest. Conditional mutants are also broadly useful for phenotypic analyses of genes that require a tightly regulated and artificially inducible copy of the target gene. Herein, we describe the methods used to generate and confirm conditional mutant clones in Borrelia burgdorferi utilizing the Borrelia-adapted lac operator/repressor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I Latham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Jon S Blevins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.
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Yang S, Lv X, Wang X, Wang J, Wang R, Wang T. Cell-Surface Displayed Expression of Trehalose Synthase from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 47054 in Pichia Pastoris Using Pir1p as an Anchor Protein. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2583. [PMID: 29312257 PMCID: PMC5742630 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Yeast cell-surface display technologies have been widely applied in the fields of food, medicine, and feed enzyme production, including lipase, α-amylase, and endoglucanase. In this study, a treS gene was fused with the yeast cell-surface anchor protein gene Pir1p by overlap PCR, the Pir1p-treS fusion gene was ligated into pPICZαA and pGAPZαA and transformed into P. pastoris GS115 to obtain recombinant yeast strains that displays trehalose synthase(TreS) on its cell surface as an efficient and recyclable whole-cell biocatalyst. Firstly, the enhanced green fluorescence protein gene (egfp) was used as the reporter protein to fusion the Pir1p gene and treS gene to construct the recombinant plasmids containing treS-egfg-Pir1p fusion gene, and electrotransformed into P. pastoris GS115 to analyze the surface display characteristics of fusion gene by Western blot, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The analysis shown that the treS-egfg-Pir1p fusion protein can be successfully displayed on the surface of yeast cell, and the expression level increased with the extension of fermentation time. These results implied that the Pir1p-treS fusion gene can be well displayed on the cell surface. Secondly, in order to obtain surface active cells with high enzyme activity, the enzymatic properties of TreS displayed on the cell surface was analyzed, and the fermentation process of recombinant P. patoris GS115 containing pPICZαA-Pir1p-treS and pGAPZαA-Pir1p-treS was studied respectively. The cell surface display TreS was stable over a broad range of temperatures (10-45°C) and pH (6.0-8.5). The activity of TreS displayed on cell surface respectively reached 1,108 Ug-1 under PAOX1 control for 150 h, and 1,109 Ug-1 under PGAP control for 75h in a 5 L fermenter, respectively. Lastly, the cell-surface displayed TreS was used to product trehalose using high maltose syrup as substrate at pH 8.0 and 15°C. The surface display TreS cells can be recycled for three times and the weight conversion rate of trehalose was more than 60%. This paper revealed that the TreS can display on the P. pastoris cell surface and still had a higher catalytic activity after recycled three times, which was suitable for industrial application, especially the preparation of pharmaceutical grade trehalose products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Shandong Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (ShanDong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Xin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Shandong Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (ShanDong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Xihui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Shandong Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (ShanDong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Junqing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Shandong Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (ShanDong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Ruiming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Shandong Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (ShanDong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Tengfei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Shandong Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (ShanDong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
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40
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Embers ME, Hasenkampf NR, Jacobs MB, Tardo AC, Doyle-Meyers LA, Philipp MT, Hodzic E. Variable manifestations, diverse seroreactivity and post-treatment persistence in non-human primates exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi by tick feeding. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189071. [PMID: 29236732 PMCID: PMC5728523 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The efficacy and accepted regimen of antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease has been a point of significant contention among physicians and patients. While experimental studies in animals have offered evidence of post-treatment persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi, variations in methodology, detection methods and limitations of the models have led to some uncertainty with respect to translation of these results to human infection. With all stages of clinical Lyme disease having previously been described in nonhuman primates, this animal model was selected in order to most closely mimic human infection and response to treatment. Rhesus macaques were inoculated with B. burgdorferi by tick bite and a portion were treated with recommended doses of doxycycline for 28 days at four months post-inoculation. Signs of infection, clinical pathology, and antibody responses to a set of five antigens were monitored throughout the ~1.2 year study. Persistence of B. burgdorferi was evaluated using xenodiagnosis, bioassays in mice, multiple methods of molecular detection, immunostaining with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and an in vivo culture system. Our results demonstrate host-dependent signs of infection and variation in antibody responses. In addition, we observed evidence of persistent, intact, metabolically-active B. burgdorferi after antibiotic treatment of disseminated infection and showed that persistence may not be reflected by maintenance of specific antibody production by the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica E. Embers
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicole R. Hasenkampf
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States of America
| | - Mary B. Jacobs
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States of America
| | - Amanda C. Tardo
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States of America
| | - Lara A. Doyle-Meyers
- Division of Veterinary Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States of America
| | - Mario T. Philipp
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States of America
| | - Emir Hodzic
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
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41
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Narasimhan S, Schuijt TJ, Abraham NM, Rajeevan N, Coumou J, Graham M, Robson A, Wu MJ, Daffre S, Hovius JW, Fikrig E. Modulation of the tick gut milieu by a secreted tick protein favors Borrelia burgdorferi colonization. Nat Commun 2017; 8:184. [PMID: 28775250 PMCID: PMC5543126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00208-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, colonizes the gut of the tick Ixodes scapularis, which transmits the pathogen to vertebrate hosts including humans. Here we show that B. burgdorferi colonization increases the expression of several tick gut genes including pixr, encoding a secreted gut protein with a Reeler domain. RNA interference-mediated silencing of pixr, or immunity against PIXR in mice, impairs the ability of B. burgdorferi to colonize the tick gut. PIXR inhibits bacterial biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo. Abrogation of PIXR function in vivo results in alterations in the gut microbiome, metabolome and immune responses. These alterations influence the spirochete entering the tick gut in multiple ways. PIXR abrogation also impairs larval molting, indicative of its role in tick biology. This study highlights the role of the tick gut in actively managing its microbiome, and how this impacts B. burgdorferi colonization of its arthropod vector. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by the tick Ixodes scapularis. Here, the authors show that a tick secreted protein (PIXR) modulates the tick gut microbiota and facilitates B. burgdorferi colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Narasimhan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA.
| | - Tim J Schuijt
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Nabil M Abraham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Nallakkandi Rajeevan
- Yale Centre for Medical Informatics, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.,Clinical Epidemiology Research Centre, VA Cooperative Studies Program, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Jeroen Coumou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Morven Graham
- Yale Centre for Cellular and Molecular Imaging, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Andrew Robson
- Program in Vertebrate Developmental Biology, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA
| | - Ming-Jie Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Joppe W Hovius
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
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42
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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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43
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Casas V, Rodríguez-Asiain A, Pinto-Llorente R, Vadillo S, Carrascal M, Abian J. Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and B. pilosicoli Proteins Recognized by Sera of Challenged Pigs. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:723. [PMID: 28522991 PMCID: PMC5415613 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The spirochetes Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and B. pilosicoli are pig intestinal pathogens that are the causative agents of swine dysentery (SD) and porcine intestinal spirochaetosis (PIS), respectively. Although some inactivated bacterin and recombinant vaccines have been explored as prophylactic treatments against these species, no effective vaccine is yet available. Immunoproteomics approaches hold the potential for the identification of new, suitable candidates for subunit vaccines against SD and PIS. These strategies take into account the gene products actually expressed and present in the cells, and thus susceptible of being targets of immune recognition. In this context, we have analyzed the immunogenic pattern of two B. pilosicoli porcine isolates (the Spanish farm isolate OLA9 and the commercial P43/6/78 strain) and one B. hyodysenteriae isolate (the Spanish farm V1). The proteins from the Brachyspira lysates were fractionated by preparative isoelectric focusing, and the fractions were analyzed by Western blot with hyperimmune sera from challenged pigs. Of the 28 challenge-specific immunoreactive bands detected, 21 were identified as single proteins by MS, while the other 7 were shown to contain several major proteins. None of these proteins were detected in the control immunoreactive bands. The proteins identified included 11 from B. hyodysenteriae and 28 from the two B. pilosicoli strains. Eight proteins were common to the B. pilosicoli strains (i.e., elongation factor G, aspartyl-tRNA synthase, biotin lipoyl, TmpB outer membrane protein, flagellar protein FlaA, enolase, PEPCK, and VspD), and enolase and PEPCK were common to both species. Many of the identified proteins were flagellar proteins or predicted to be located on the cell surface and some of them had been previously described as antigenic or as bacterial virulence factors. Here we report on the identification and semiquantitative data of these immunoreactive proteins which constitute a unique antigen collection from these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Casas
- CSIC/UAB Proteomics Laboratory, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPSBarcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Santiago Vadillo
- Departamento Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de ExtremaduraCáceres, Spain
| | | | - Joaquin Abian
- CSIC/UAB Proteomics Laboratory, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPSBarcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
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44
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de la Fuente J, Antunes S, Bonnet S, Cabezas-Cruz A, Domingos AG, Estrada-Peña A, Johnson N, Kocan KM, Mansfield KL, Nijhof AM, Papa A, Rudenko N, Villar M, Alberdi P, Torina A, Ayllón N, Vancova M, Golovchenko M, Grubhoffer L, Caracappa S, Fooks AR, Gortazar C, Rego ROM. Tick-Pathogen Interactions and Vector Competence: Identification of Molecular Drivers for Tick-Borne Diseases. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:114. [PMID: 28439499 PMCID: PMC5383669 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks and the pathogens they transmit constitute a growing burden for human and animal health worldwide. Vector competence is a component of vectorial capacity and depends on genetic determinants affecting the ability of a vector to transmit a pathogen. These determinants affect traits such as tick-host-pathogen and susceptibility to pathogen infection. Therefore, the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in tick-pathogen interactions that affect vector competence is essential for the identification of molecular drivers for tick-borne diseases. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of tick-pathogen molecular interactions for bacteria, viruses, and protozoa affecting human and animal health. Additionally, the impact of tick microbiome on these interactions was considered. Results show that different pathogens evolved similar strategies such as manipulation of the immune response to infect vectors and facilitate multiplication and transmission. Furthermore, some of these strategies may be used by pathogens to infect both tick and mammalian hosts. Identification of interactions that promote tick survival, spread, and pathogen transmission provides the opportunity to disrupt these interactions and lead to a reduction in tick burden and the prevalence of tick-borne diseases. Targeting some of the similar mechanisms used by the pathogens for infection and transmission by ticks may assist in development of preventative strategies against multiple tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- José de la Fuente
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain.,Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK, USA
| | - Sandra Antunes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR INRA-ANSES-ENVAMaisons-Alfort, France.,Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Ana G Domingos
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Nicholas Johnson
- Animal and Plant Health AgencySurrey, UK.,Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of SurreyGuildford, UK
| | - Katherine M Kocan
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK, USA
| | - Karen L Mansfield
- Animal and Plant Health AgencySurrey, UK.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Ard M Nijhof
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Anna Papa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiThessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nataliia Rudenko
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Margarita Villar
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Alessandra Torina
- National Center of Reference for Anaplasma, Babesia, Rickettsia and Theileria, Intituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della SiciliaSicily, Italy
| | - Nieves Ayllón
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Marie Vancova
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Maryna Golovchenko
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Santo Caracappa
- National Center of Reference for Anaplasma, Babesia, Rickettsia and Theileria, Intituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della SiciliaSicily, Italy
| | - Anthony R Fooks
- Animal and Plant Health AgencySurrey, UK.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Christian Gortazar
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
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45
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Ouyang Z, Zhou J. The putative Walker A and Walker B motifs of Rrp2 are required for the growth of Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2016; 103:86-98. [PMID: 27696536 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Rrp2 encodes a putative bacterial enhancer binding protein (bEBP) in Borrelia burgdorferi. Point mutation (G239C) of Rrp2 abolishes the transcriptional activation of σ54 -dependent rpoS. In contrast to canonical bEBPs that are dispensable for bacterial growth, Rrp2 is essential for borrelial growth in BSK medium. It has been believed that Rrp2's ATPase activity is not required for cell growth, but experimental evidence supporting this notion has been lacking. In particular, it has remained unclear whether the residue G239 is involved in Rrp2's presumptive ATPase activity. To address these information gaps, we examined the roles of Rrp2's potential strategic signatures including the G239 residue and the putative Walker A and Walker B motifs. Herein it was showed that Rrp2 has ATP binding and hydrolysis activities engendered by the Walker A and B motifs respectively. However, these activities were not significantly impaired by a G239C mutation. Further mutagenesis analyses indicated that Rrp2's Walker A and B motifs are required for borrelial growth; mutations of key residues in these two motifs were lethal to B. burgdorferi. The combined data suggest that the Walker A and Walker B motifs of Rrp2 are involved in the control of another unknown RpoS-independent gene product(s) associated with borrelial replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiming Ouyang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Jianli Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
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46
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Borrelia burgdorferi CheD Promotes Various Functions in Chemotaxis and the Pathogenic Life Cycle of the Spirochete. Infect Immun 2016; 84:1743-1752. [PMID: 27021244 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01347-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi possesses a sophisticated chemotaxis signaling system; however, the roles of the majority of the chemotaxis proteins in the infectious life cycle have not yet been demonstrated. Specifically, the role of CheD during host colonization has not been demonstrated in any bacterium. Here, we systematically characterized the B. burgdorferi CheD homolog using genetics and biochemical and mouse-tick-mouse infection cycle studies. Bacillus subtilis CheD plays an important role in chemotaxis by deamidation of methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein receptors (MCPs) and by increasing the receptor kinase activity or enhancing CheC phosphatase activity, thereby regulating the levels of the CheY response regulator. Our biochemical analysis indicates that B. burgdorferi CheD significantly enhances CheX phosphatase activity by specifically interacting with the phosphatase. Moreover, CheD specifically binds two of the six MCPs, indicating that CheD may also modulate the receptor proteins. Although the motility of the cheD mutant cells was indistinguishable from that of the wild-type cells, the mutant did exhibit reduced chemotaxis. Importantly, the mutant showed significantly reduced infectivity in C3H/HeN mice via needle inoculation. Mouse-tick-mouse infection assays indicated that CheD is dispensable for acquisition or transmission of spirochetes; however, the viability of cheD mutants in ticks is marginally reduced compared to that of the wild-type or complemented cheD spirochetes. These data suggest that CheD plays an important role in the chemotaxis and pathogenesis of B. burgdorferi We propose potential connections between CheD, CheX, and MCPs and discuss how these interactions play critical roles during the infectious life cycle of the spirochete.
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47
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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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48
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Strnad M, Elsterová J, Schrenková J, Vancová M, Rego ROM, Grubhoffer L, Nebesářová J. Correlative cryo-fluorescence and cryo-scanning electron microscopy as a straightforward tool to study host-pathogen interactions. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18029. [PMID: 26658551 PMCID: PMC4674872 DOI: 10.1038/srep18029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Correlative light and electron microscopy is an imaging technique that enables identification and targeting of fluorescently tagged structures with subsequent imaging at near-to-nanometer resolution. We established a novel correlative cryo-fluorescence microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy workflow, which enables imaging of the studied object of interest very close to its natural state, devoid of artifacts caused for instance by slow chemical fixation. This system was tested by investigating the interaction of the zoonotic bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi with two mammalian cell lines of neural origin in order to broaden our knowledge about the cell-association mechanisms that precedes the entry of the bacteria into the cell. This method appears to be an unprecedentedly fast (<3 hours), straightforward, and reliable solution to study the finer details of pathogen-host cell interactions and provides important insights into the complex and dynamic relationship between a pathogen and a host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Strnad
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Elsterová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno CZ-62100, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Schrenková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Vancová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Nebesářová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 1594/7, Praha CZ-12800, Czech Republic
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49
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Spirochetal motility and chemotaxis in the natural enzootic cycle and development of Lyme disease. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 28:106-13. [PMID: 26519910 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Two-thirds of all bacterial genomes sequenced to-date possess an organelle for locomotion, referred to as flagella, periplasmic flagella or type IV pili. These genomes may also contain a chemotaxis-signaling system which governs flagellar rotation, thus leading a coordinated function for motility. Motility and chemotaxis are often crucial for infection or disease process caused by pathogenic bacteria. Although motility-associated genes are well-characterized in some organisms, the highly orchestrated synthesis, regulation, and assembly of periplasmic flagella in spirochetes are just being delineated. Recent advances were fostered by development of unique genetic manipulations in spirochetes coupled with cutting-edge imaging techniques. These contemporary advances in understanding the role of spirochetal motility and chemotaxis in host persistence and disease development are highlighted in this review.
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50
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Telford SR, Goethert HK, Molloy PJ, Berardi VP, Chowdri HR, Gugliotta JL, Lepore TJ. Borrelia miyamotoi Disease: Neither Lyme Disease Nor Relapsing Fever. Clin Lab Med 2015; 35:867-82. [PMID: 26593262 DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD) is a newly recognized borreliosis globally transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes persulcatus species complex. Once considered to be a tick symbiont with no public health implications, B miyamotoi is increasingly recognized as the agent of a nonspecific febrile illness often misdiagnosed as acute Lyme disease without rash, or as ehrlichiosis. The frequency of its diagnosis in the northeastern United States is similar to that of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. A diagnosis of BMD is confirmed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of acute blood samples, or by seroconversion using a recombinant glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase enzyme immunoassay. BMD is successfully treated with oral doxycycline or amoxicillin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam R Telford
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Heidi K Goethert
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Philip J Molloy
- Imugen, Inc., 315 Norwood Park South, Norwood, MA 02062, USA
| | | | - Hanumara Ram Chowdri
- Hawthorn Medical Associates, 275 Allen Street, Unit 3, New Bedford, MA 02740, USA
| | - Joseph L Gugliotta
- Hunterdon Medical Center Infectious Diseases, 1100 Wescott Drive, Suite 306, Flemington, NJ 08822, USA
| | - Timothy J Lepore
- Nantucket Cottage Hospital, 57 Prospect Street, Nantucket, MA 02554, USA
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