1
|
Akther S, Mongodin EF, Morgan RD, Di L, Yang X, Golovchenko M, Rudenko N, Margos G, Hepner S, Fingerle V, Kawabata H, Norte AC, de Carvalho IL, Núncio MS, Marques A, Schutzer SE, Fraser CM, Luft BJ, Casjens SR, Qiu W. Natural selection and recombination at host-interacting lipoprotein loci drive genome diversification of Lyme disease and related bacteria. mBio 2024:e0174924. [PMID: 39145656 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01749-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused by spirochetes in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato clade within the Borrelia genus, is transmitted by Ixodes ticks and is currently the most prevalent and rapidly expanding tick-borne disease in Europe and North America. We report complete genome sequences of 47 isolates that encompass all established species in this clade while highlighting the diversity of the widespread human pathogenic species B. burgdorferi. A similar set of plasmids has been maintained throughout Borrelia divergence, indicating that they are a key adaptive feature of this genus. Phylogenetic reconstruction of all sequenced Borrelia genomes revealed the original divergence of Eurasian and North American lineages and subsequent dispersals that introduced B. garinii, B. bavariensis, B. lusitaniae, B. valaisiana, and B. afzelii from East Asia to Europe and B. burgdorferi and B. finlandensis from North America to Europe. Molecular phylogenies of the universally present core replicons (chromosome and cp26 and lp54 plasmids) are highly consistent, revealing a strong clonal structure. Nonetheless, numerous inconsistencies between the genome and gene phylogenies indicate species dispersal, genetic exchanges, and rapid sequence evolution at plasmid-borne loci, including key host-interacting lipoprotein genes. While localized recombination occurs uniformly on the main chromosome at a rate comparable to mutation, lipoprotein-encoding loci are recombination hotspots on the plasmids, suggesting adaptive maintenance of recombinant alleles at loci directly interacting with the host. We conclude that within- and between-species recombination facilitates adaptive sequence evolution of host-interacting lipoprotein loci and contributes to human virulence despite a genome-wide clonal structure of its natural populations. IMPORTANCE Lyme disease (also called Lyme borreliosis in Europe), a condition caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Borrelia, transmitted by hard-bodied Ixodes ticks, is currently the most prevalent and rapidly expanding tick-borne disease in the United States and Europe. Borrelia interspecies and intraspecies genome comparisons of Lyme disease-related bacteria are essential to reconstruct their evolutionary origins, track epidemiological spread, identify molecular mechanisms of human pathogenicity, and design molecular and ecological approaches to disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. These Lyme disease-associated bacteria harbor complex genomes that encode many genes that do not have homologs in other organisms and are distributed across multiple linear and circular plasmids. The functional significance of most of the plasmid-borne genes and the multipartite genome organization itself remains unknown. Here we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed whole genomes of 47 Borrelia isolates from around the world, including multiple isolates of the human pathogenic species. Our analysis elucidates the evolutionary origins, historical migration, and sources of genomic variability of these clinically important pathogens. We have developed web-based software tools (BorreliaBase.org) to facilitate dissemination and continued comparative analysis of Borrelia genomes to identify determinants of human pathogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saymon Akther
- Graduate Center and Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Lia Di
- Graduate Center and Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Xiaohua Yang
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University (SUNY), Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Maryna Golovchenko
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Natalie Rudenko
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriele Margos
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority and German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Sabrina Hepner
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority and German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority and German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Bavaria, Germany
| | | | - Ana Cláudia Norte
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Maria Sofia Núncio
- Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, Águas de Moura, Portugal
| | - Adriana Marques
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Claire M Fraser
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Benjamin J Luft
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University (SUNY), Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Sherwood R Casjens
- University of Utah School of Medicine and School of Biological Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Weigang Qiu
- Graduate Center and Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Margos G, Hofmann M, Casjens S, Dupraz M, Heinzinger S, Hartberger C, Hepner S, Schmeusser M, Sing A, Fingerle V, McCoy KD. Genome diversity of Borrelia garinii in marine transmission cycles does not match host associations but reflects the strains evolutionary history. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 115:105502. [PMID: 37716446 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is a species complex of spirochetal bacteria that occupy different ecological niches which is reflected in their reservoir host- and vector-associations. Borrelia genomes possess numerous linear and circular plasmids. Proteins encoded by plasmid genes play a major role in host- and vector-interaction and are important for Borrelia niche adaptation. However, the plasmid composition and therewith the gene repertoire may vary even in strains of a single species. Borrelia garinii, one of the six human pathogenic species, is common in Europe (vector Ixodes ricinus), Asia (vector Ixodes persulcatus) and in marine birds (vector Ixodes uriae). For the latter, only a single culture isolate (Far04) and its genome were previously available. The genome was rather small containing only one circular and six linear plasmids with a notable absence of cp32 plasmids. To further investigate B. garinii from marine transmission cycles and to explore i) whether the small number of plasmids found in isolate Far04 is a common feature in B. garinii from marine birds and presents an adaptation to this particular niche and ii) whether there may be a correlation between genome type and host species, we initiated in vitro cultures from live I. uriae collected in 2017 and 2018 from marine avian hosts and their nests. Hosts included common guillemots, Atlantic Puffin, razorbill, and kittiwake. We obtained 17 novel isolates of which 10 were sequenced using Illumina technology, one also with Pacific Bioscience technology. The 10 genomes segregated into five different genome types defined by plasmid types (based on PFam32 loci). We show that the genomes of seabird associated B. garinii contain fewer plasmids (6-9) than B. garinii from terrestrial avian species (generally ≥10), potentially suggesting niche adaptation. However, genome type did not match an association with the diverse avian seabird hosts investigated but matched the clonal complex they originated from, perhaps reflecting the isolates evolutionary history. Questions that should be addressed in future studies are (i) how is plasmid diversity related to host- and/or vector adaptation; (ii) do the different seabird species differ in reservoir host competence, and (iii) can the genome types found in seabirds use terrestrial birds as reservoir hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Margos
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Markus Hofmann
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Sherwood Casjens
- Pathology Department, School of Medicine, University of Utah, 15 North Medical Drive East Ste. #1100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Marlene Dupraz
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier - CNRS - IRD, Centre IRD, Domaine La Valette - 900, rue Jean François BRETON, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Susanne Heinzinger
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Christine Hartberger
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Sabrina Hepner
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Mercy Schmeusser
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Andreas Sing
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Volker Fingerle
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Karen D McCoy
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier - CNRS - IRD, Centre IRD, Domaine La Valette - 900, rue Jean François BRETON, 34090 Montpellier, France.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kneubehl AR, Lopez JE. Comparative genomics analysis of three conserved plasmid families in the Western Hemisphere soft tick-borne relapsing fever borreliae provides insight into variation in genome structure and antigenic variation systems. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0089523. [PMID: 37737593 PMCID: PMC10580987 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00895-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia spirochetes, causative agents of Lyme disease and relapsing fever (RF), have uniquely complex genomes, consisting of a linear chromosome and both circular and linear plasmids. The plasmids harbor genes important for the vector-host life cycle of these tick-borne bacteria. The role of plasmids from Lyme disease causing spirochetes is more refined compared to RF Borrelia because of limited plasmid-resolved genome assemblies for the latter. We recently addressed this limitation and found that three linear plasmid families (F6, F27, and F28) were syntenic across all the RF Borrelia species that we examined. Given this conservation, we further investigated the three plasmid families. The F6 family, also known as the megaplasmid, contained regions of repetitive DNA. The F27 was the smallest, encoding genes with unknown function. The F28 family encoded the putative expression locus for antigenic variation in all species except Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia anserina. Taken together, this work provides a foundation for future investigations to identify essential plasmid-localized genes that drive the vector-host life cycle of RF Borrelia. IMPORTANCE Borrelia spp. spirochetes are arthropod-borne bacteria found globally that infect humans and other vertebrates. RF borreliae are understudied and misdiagnosed pathogens because of the vague clinical presentation of disease and the elusive feeding behavior of argasid ticks. Consequently, genomics resources for RF spirochetes have been limited. Analyses of Borrelia plasmids have been challenging because they are often highly fragmented and unassembled in most available genome assemblies. By utilizing Oxford Nanopore Technologies, we recently generated plasmid-resolved genome assemblies for seven Borrelia spp. found in the Western Hemisphere. This current study is an in-depth investigation into the linear plasmids that were conserved and syntenic across species. We identified differences in genome structure and, importantly, in antigenic variation systems between species. This work is an important step in identifying crucial plasmid-localized genetic elements essential for the life cycle of RF spirochetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Shikov AE, Savina IA, Nizhnikov AA, Antonets KS. Recombination in Bacterial Genomes: Evolutionary Trends. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:568. [PMID: 37755994 PMCID: PMC10534446 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15090568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial organisms have undergone homologous recombination (HR) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) multiple times during their history. These processes could increase fitness to new environments, cause specialization, the emergence of new species, and changes in virulence. Therefore, comprehensive knowledge of the impact and intensity of genetic exchanges and the location of recombination hotspots on the genome is necessary for understanding the dynamics of adaptation to various conditions. To this end, we aimed to characterize the functional impact and genomic context of computationally detected recombination events by analyzing genomic studies of any bacterial species, for which events have been detected in the last 30 years. Genomic loci where the transfer of DNA was detected pertained to mobile genetic elements (MGEs) housing genes that code for proteins engaged in distinct cellular processes, such as secretion systems, toxins, infection effectors, biosynthesis enzymes, etc. We found that all inferences fall into three main lifestyle categories, namely, ecological diversification, pathogenesis, and symbiosis. The latter primarily exhibits ancestral events, thus, possibly indicating that adaptation appears to be governed by similar recombination-dependent mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anton E. Shikov
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (I.A.S.); (A.A.N.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Iuliia A. Savina
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (I.A.S.); (A.A.N.)
| | - Anton A. Nizhnikov
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (I.A.S.); (A.A.N.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Kirill S. Antonets
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (I.A.S.); (A.A.N.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Genné D, Jiricka W, Sarr A, Voordouw MJ. Tick-to-host transmission differs between Borrelia afzelii strains. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0167523. [PMID: 37676027 PMCID: PMC10580945 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01675-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many vector-borne pathogens establish multiple-strain infections in the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. Multiple-strain infections in the host influence strain acquisition by naive vectors. Whether multiple-strain infections in the vector influence strain-specific transmission to naive hosts remains unknown. The spirochete, Borrelia afzelii, causes Lyme borreliosis and multiple-strain infections are common in both the tick vector and vertebrate host. Our study used two B. afzelii strains: Fin-Jyv-A3 and NE4049. Donor mice were infected with Fin-Jyv-A3 alone, NE4049 alone, or with both strains. Larval ticks fed on donor mice and molted into nymphal ticks infected with either strain or both strains. These nymphs were fed on test mice to determine whether multiple-strain infections in the nymph influence nymph-to-host transmission (NHT). Multiple-strain infection in the donor mice reduced the acquisition of both strains by ticks by 23%. Thus, a substantial fraction of infected nymphs from the multiple strain treatment were infected with the "wrong" competitor strain rather than the "right" focal strain. As a result, nymphs from the multiple strain treatment were 46% less likely to infect the test mice with the focal strain compared to nymphs from the single strain treatment. However, multiple-strain infection in the nymphal tick had no effect on the NHT of either strain. The nymphal spirochete load of Fin-Jyv-A3 was 1.9 times higher compared to NE4049. NHT of Fin-Jyv-A3 (79%) was 1.5 times higher compared to NE4049 (53%). Our study suggests that B. afzelii strains with higher nymphal spirochete loads have higher NHT. IMPORTANCE For many vector-borne pathogens, multiple-strain infections in the vertebrate host or arthropod vector are common. Multiple-strain infections in the host reduce strain acquisition by feeding vectors. Whether multiple-strain infections in the vector influence strain transmission to the host remains unknown. In our study, we used two strains of the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia afzelii, which causes Lyme borreliosis, to investigate whether multiple-strain infections in the nymphal tick influenced nymph-to-host transmission (NHT) of strains. Multiple-strain infections in mice reduced the acquisition of both B. afzelii strains by nymphal ticks. As a result, nymphs from the multiple strain treatment were less likely to infect naive test mice with the focal strain. Multiple-strain infection in the nymphal ticks did not influence the NHT of either strain. The strain with the higher bacterial abundance in the nymph had higher NHT. Our study suggests that pathogen abundance in the arthropod vector is important for vector-to-host transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Genné
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Whitney Jiricka
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Anouk Sarr
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Maarten J. Voordouw
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gofton AW, Popa-Baez A, Takano A, Soennichsen K, Michie M, Short M, Supriyono S, Pascoe J, Cusbert S, Mulley R. Characterisation and comparative genomics of three new Varanus-associated Borrelia spp. from Indonesia and Australia. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:317. [PMID: 37670353 PMCID: PMC10481545 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05937-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borrelia are important disease-causing tick- and louse-borne spirochaetes than can infect a wide variety of vertebrates, including humans and reptiles. Reptile-associated (REP) Borrelia, once considered a peculiarity, are now recognised as a distinct and important evolutionary lineage, and are increasingly being discovered worldwide in association with novel hosts. Numerous novel Borrelia spp. associated with monitor lizards (Varanus spp.) have been recently identified throughout the Indo-Pacific region; however, there is a lack of genomic data on these Borrelia. METHODS We used metagenomic techniques to sequence almost complete genomes of novel Borrelia spp. from Varanus varius and Varanus giganteus from Australia, and used long- and short-read technologies to sequence the complete genomes of two strains of a novel Borrelia sp. previously isolated from ticks infesting Varanus salvator from Indonesia. We investigated intra- and interspecies genomic diversity, including plasmid diversity and relatedness, among Varanus-associated Borrelia and other available REP Borrelia and, based on 712 whole genome orthologues, produced the most complete phylogenetic analysis, to the best of our knowledge, of REP Borrelia to date. RESULTS The genomic architecture of Varanus-associated Borrelia spp. is similar to that of Borrelia spp. that cause relapsing fever (RF), and includes a highly conserved megaplasmid and numerous smaller linear and circular plasmids that lack structural consistency between species. Analysis of PF32 and PF57/62 plasmid partitioning genes indicated that REP Borrelia plasmids fall into at least six distinct plasmid families, some of which are related to previously defined Borrelia plasmid families, whereas the others appear to be unique. REP Borrelia contain immunogenic variable major proteins that are homologous to those found in Borrelia spp. that cause RF, although they are limited in copy number and variability and have low sequence identities to RF variable major proteins. Phylogenetic analyses based on single marker genes and 712 single copy orthologs also definitively demonstrated the monophyly of REP Borrelia as a unique lineage. CONCLUSIONS In this work we present four new genomes from three novel Borrelia, and thus double the number of REP Borrelia genomes publicly available. The genomic characterisation of these Borrelia clearly demonstrates their distinctiveness as species, and we propose the names Borrelia salvatorii, 'Candidatus Borrelia undatumii', and 'Candidatus Borrelia rubricentralis' for them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander William Gofton
- Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australia
| | - Angel Popa-Baez
- Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australia
| | - Ai Takano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Kari Soennichsen
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Michelle Michie
- Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australia
| | - Makenna Short
- Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australia
| | - Supriyono Supriyono
- Department of Animal Diseases and Veterinary Health, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Jack Pascoe
- School of Agricultural and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sue Cusbert
- School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| | - Robert Mulley
- School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lemieux JE, Huang W, Hill N, Cerar T, Freimark L, Hernandez S, Luban M, Maraspin V, Bogovič P, Ogrinc K, Ruzič-Sabljič E, Lapierre P, Lasek-Nesselquist E, Singh N, Iyer R, Liveris D, Reed KD, Leong JM, Branda JA, Steere AC, Wormser GP, Strle F, Sabeti PC, Schwartz I, Strle K. Whole genome sequencing of human Borrelia burgdorferi isolates reveals linked blocks of accessory genome elements located on plasmids and associated with human dissemination. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011243. [PMID: 37651316 PMCID: PMC10470944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America and Europe. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease vary based on the genospecies of the infecting Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete, but the microbial genetic elements underlying these associations are not known. Here, we report the whole genome sequence (WGS) and analysis of 299 B. burgdorferi (Bb) isolates derived from patients in the Eastern and Midwestern US and Central Europe. We develop a WGS-based classification of Bb isolates, confirm and extend the findings of previous single- and multi-locus typing systems, define the plasmid profiles of human-infectious Bb isolates, annotate the core and strain-variable surface lipoproteome, and identify loci associated with disseminated infection. A core genome consisting of ~900 open reading frames and a core set of plasmids consisting of lp17, lp25, lp36, lp28-3, lp28-4, lp54, and cp26 are found in nearly all isolates. Strain-variable (accessory) plasmids and genes correlate strongly with phylogeny. Using genetic association study methods, we identify an accessory genome signature associated with dissemination in humans and define the individual plasmids and genes that make up this signature. Strains within the RST1/WGS A subgroup, particularly a subset marked by the OspC type A genotype, have increased rates of dissemination in humans. OspC type A strains possess a unique set of strongly linked genetic elements including the presence of lp56 and lp28-1 plasmids and a cluster of genes that may contribute to their enhanced virulence compared to other genotypes. These features of OspC type A strains reflect a broader paradigm across Bb isolates, in which near-clonal genotypes are defined by strain-specific clusters of linked genetic elements, particularly those encoding surface-exposed lipoproteins. These clusters of genes are maintained by strain-specific patterns of plasmid occupancy and are associated with the probability of invasive infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E. Lemieux
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Weihua Huang
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, United States of America
- East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Nathan Hill
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tjasa Cerar
- University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lisa Freimark
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sergio Hernandez
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Matteo Luban
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Vera Maraspin
- University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Petra Bogovič
- University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | - Pascal Lapierre
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Erica Lasek-Nesselquist
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Navjot Singh
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Radha Iyer
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, United States of America
| | - Dionysios Liveris
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, United States of America
| | - Kurt D. Reed
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - John M. Leong
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John A. Branda
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Allen C. Steere
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Gary P. Wormser
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, United States of America
| | - Franc Strle
- University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Pardis C. Sabeti
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ira Schwartz
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, United States of America
| | - Klemen Strle
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hepner S, Kuleshov K, Tooming-Kunderud A, Alig N, Gofton A, Casjens S, Rollins RE, Dangel A, Mourkas E, Sheppard SK, Wieser A, Hübner J, Sing A, Fingerle V, Margos G. A high fidelity approach to assembling the complex Borrelia genome. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:401. [PMID: 37460975 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09500-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex can cause Lyme borreliosis. Different B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies vary in their host and vector associations and human pathogenicity but the genetic basis for these adaptations is unresolved and requires completed and reliable genomes for comparative analyses. The de novo assembly of a complete Borrelia genome is challenging due to the high levels of complexity, represented by a high number of circular and linear plasmids that are dynamic, showing mosaic structure and sequence homology. Previous work demonstrated that even advanced approaches, such as a combination of short-read and long-read data, might lead to incomplete plasmid reconstruction. Here, using recently developed high-fidelity (HiFi) PacBio sequencing, we explored strategies to obtain gap-free, complete and high quality Borrelia genome assemblies. Optimizing genome assembly, quality control and refinement steps, we critically appraised existing techniques to create a workflow that lead to improved genome reconstruction. RESULTS Despite the latest available technologies, stand-alone sequencing and assembly methods are insufficient for the generation of complete and high quality Borrelia genome assemblies. We developed a workflow pipeline for the de novo genome assembly for Borrelia using several types of sequence data and incorporating multiple assemblers to recover the complete genome including both circular and linear plasmid sequences. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that, with HiFi data and an ensemble reconstruction pipeline with refinement steps, chromosomal and plasmid sequences can be fully resolved, even for complex genomes such as Borrelia. The presented pipeline may be of interest for the assembly of further complex microbial genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Hepner
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | | | - Ave Tooming-Kunderud
- Department of Biosciences, Norwegian Sequencing Centre at Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nikolas Alig
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Germany
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | | | - Sherwood Casjens
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Robert E Rollins
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Alexandra Dangel
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | | | | | - Andreas Wieser
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Imunology, Infectious Disease and Pandemic Research IIP, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Hübner
- Dr. Von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Sing
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Germany
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Volker Fingerle
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Germany
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Gabriele Margos
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleissheim, Germany
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Reddy PJ, Sun Z, Wippel HH, Baxter D, Swearingen K, Shteynberg DD, Midha MK, Caimano MJ, Strle K, Choi Y, Chan AP, Schork NJ, Moritz RL. Borrelia PeptideAtlas: A proteome resource of common Borrelia burgdorferi isolates for Lyme research. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.545244. [PMID: 37398146 PMCID: PMC10312716 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused by an infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in North America. B. burgdorferi strains harbor extensive genomic and proteomic variability and further comparison is key to understanding the spirochetes infectivity and biological impacts of identified sequence variants. To achieve this goal, both transcript and mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics was applied to assemble peptide datasets of laboratory strains B31, MM1, B31-ML23, infective isolates B31-5A4, B31-A3, and 297, and other public datasets, to provide a publicly available Borrelia PeptideAtlas http://www.peptideatlas.org/builds/borrelia/. Included is information on total proteome, secretome, and membrane proteome of these B. burgdorferi strains. Proteomic data collected from 35 different experiment datasets, with a total of 855 mass spectrometry runs, identified 76,936 distinct peptides at a 0.1% peptide false-discovery-rate, which map to 1,221 canonical proteins (924 core canonical and 297 noncore canonical) and covers 86% of the total base B31 proteome. The diverse proteomic information from multiple isolates with credible data presented by the Borrelia PeptideAtlas can be useful to pinpoint potential protein targets which are common to infective isolates and may be key in the infection process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhi Sun
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - David Baxter
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Klemen Strle
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yongwook Choi
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Agnes P. Chan
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kneubehl AR, Lopez JE. Comparative genomics analysis of three conserved plasmid families in the Western Hemisphere soft tick-borne relapsing fever borreliae provides insight into variation in genome structure and antigenic variation systems. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.06.531354. [PMID: 36945547 PMCID: PMC10028826 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.06.531354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia spirochetes, causative agents of Lyme disease and relapsing fever (RF), have a uniquely complex genome consisting of a linear chromosome and circular and linear plasmids. The plasmids harbor genes important for the vector-host life cycle of these tick-borne bacteria. The role of Lyme disease causing Borrelia plasmids is more refined compared to RF spirochetes because of limited plasmid-resolved genomes for RF spirochetes. We recently addressed this limitation and found that three linear plasmid families (F6, F27, and F28) were syntenic across all species. Given this conservation, we further investigated the three plasmid families. The F6 family, also known as the megaplasmid, contained regions of repetitive DNA. The F27 was the smallest, encoding genes with unknown function. The F28 family encoded the expression locus for antigenic variation in all species except Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia anserina. Taken together, this work provides a foundation for future investigations to identify essential plasmid-localized genes that drive the vector-host life cycle of RF Borrelia . IMPORTANCE Borrelia spp. spirochetes are arthropod-borne bacteria found globally and infect humans and other vertebrates. RF borreliae are understudied and misdiagnosed pathogens because of the vague clinical presentation of disease and the elusive feeding behavior of argasid ticks. Consequently, genomics resources for RF spirochetes have been limited. Analyses of Borrelia plasmids have been challenging because they are often highly fragmented and unassembled. By utilizing Oxford Nanopore Technologies, we recently generated plasmid-resolved genomes for seven Borrelia spp. found in the Western Hemisphere. This current study is a more in-depth investigation into the linear plasmids that were conserved and syntenic across species. This analysis determined differences in genome structure and, importantly, in antigenic variation systems between species. This work is an important step in identifying crucial plasmid-borne genetic elements essential for the life cycle of RF spirochetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lemieux JE, Huang W, Hill N, Cerar T, Freimark L, Hernandez S, Luban M, Maraspin V, Bogovic P, Ogrinc K, Ruzic-Sabljic E, Lapierre P, Lasek-Nesselquist E, Singh N, Iyer R, Liveris D, Reed KD, Leong JM, Branda JA, Steere AC, Wormser GP, Strle F, Sabeti PC, Schwartz I, Strle K. Whole genome sequencing of Borrelia burgdorferi isolates reveals linked clusters of plasmid-borne accessory genome elements associated with virulence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.26.530159. [PMID: 36909473 PMCID: PMC10002713 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.26.530159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America and Europe. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease vary based on the genospecies of the infecting Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete, but the microbial genetic elements underlying these associations are not known. Here, we report the whole genome sequence (WGS) and analysis of 299 patient-derived B. burgdorferi sensu stricto ( Bbss ) isolates from patients in the Eastern and Midwestern US and Central Europe. We develop a WGS-based classification of Bbss isolates, confirm and extend the findings of previous single- and multi-locus typing systems, define the plasmid profiles of human-infectious Bbss isolates, annotate the core and strain-variable surface lipoproteome, and identify loci associated with disseminated infection. A core genome consisting of ∼800 open reading frames and a core set of plasmids consisting of lp17, lp25, lp36, lp28-3, lp28-4, lp54, and cp26 are found in nearly all isolates. Strain-variable (accessory) plasmids and genes correlate strongly with phylogeny. Using genetic association study methods, we identify an accessory genome signature associated with dissemination and define the individual plasmids and genes that make up this signature. Strains within the RST1/WGS A subgroup, particularly a subset marked by the OspC type A genotype, are associated with increased rates of dissemination. OspC type A strains possess a unique constellation of strongly linked genetic changes including the presence of lp56 and lp28-1 plasmids and a cluster of genes that may contribute to their enhanced virulence compared to other genotypes. The patterns of OspC type A strains typify a broader paradigm across Bbss isolates, in which genetic structure is defined by correlated groups of strain-variable genes located predominantly on plasmids, particularly for expression of surface-exposed lipoproteins. These clusters of genes are inherited in blocks through strain-specific patterns of plasmid occupancy and are associated with the probability of invasive infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E Lemieux
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
| | - Weihua Huang
- New York Medical College
- East Carolina University
| | - Nathan Hill
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
| | | | | | | | - Matteo Luban
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - John M Leong
- Tufts University, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
| | - John A Branda
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | | | | | | | - Pardis C Sabeti
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
- Harvard University
- Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health
| | | | - Klemen Strle
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Wadsworth Center
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wachter J, Cheff B, Hillman C, Carracoi V, Dorward DW, Martens C, Barbian K, Nardone G, Renee Olano L, Kinnersley M, Secor PR, Rosa PA. Coupled induction of prophage and virulence factors during tick transmission of the Lyme disease spirochete. Nat Commun 2023; 14:198. [PMID: 36639656 PMCID: PMC9839762 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35897-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The alternative sigma factor RpoS plays a central role in the critical host-adaptive response of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. We previously identified bbd18 as a negative regulator of RpoS but could not inactivate bbd18 in wild-type spirochetes. In the current study we employed an inducible bbd18 gene to demonstrate the essential nature of BBD18 for viability of wild-type spirochetes in vitro and at a unique point in vivo. Transcriptomic analyses of BBD18-depleted cells demonstrated global induction of RpoS-dependent genes prior to lysis, with the absolute requirement for BBD18, both in vitro and in vivo, circumvented by deletion of rpoS. The increased expression of plasmid prophage genes and the presence of phage particles in the supernatants of lysing cultures indicate that RpoS regulates phage lysis-lysogeny decisions. Through this work we identify a mechanistic link between endogenous prophages and the RpoS-dependent adaptive response of the Lyme disease spirochete.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Wachter
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA. .,Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
| | - Britney Cheff
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Chad Hillman
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Valentina Carracoi
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - David W Dorward
- Electron Microscopy Unit, Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Craig Martens
- Genomics Unit, Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Kent Barbian
- Genomics Unit, Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Glenn Nardone
- Protein Chemistry Section, Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - L Renee Olano
- Protein Chemistry Section, Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Margie Kinnersley
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Patrick R Secor
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Patricia A Rosa
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rudenko N, Golovchenko M, Horak A, Grubhoffer L, Mongodin EF, Fraser CM, Qiu W, Luft BJ, Morgan RG, Casjens SR, Schutzer SE. Genomic Confirmation of Borrelia garinii, United States. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:64-69. [PMID: 36573553 PMCID: PMC9796223 DOI: 10.3201/eid2901.220930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is a multisystem disorder primarily caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. However, B. garinii, which has been identified on islands off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, is a cause of Lyme disease in Eurasia. We report isolation and whole-genome nucleotide sequencing of a B. garinii isolate from a cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) in South Carolina, USA. We identified a second B. garinii isolate from the same repository. Phylogenetic analysis does not associate these isolates with the previously described isolates of B. garinii from Canada.
Collapse
|
14
|
Takacs CN, Nakajima Y, Haber JE, Jacobs-Wagner C. Cas9-mediated endogenous plasmid loss in Borrelia burgdorferi. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278151. [PMID: 36441794 PMCID: PMC9704580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease, has the most segmented genome among known bacteria. In addition to a linear chromosome, the B. burgdorferi genome contains over 20 linear and circular endogenous plasmids. While many of these plasmids are dispensable under in vitro culture conditions, they are maintained during the natural life cycle of the pathogen. Plasmid-encoded functions are required for colonization of the tick vector, transmission to the vertebrate host, and evasion of host immune defenses. Different Borrelia strains can vary substantially in the type of plasmids they carry. The gene composition within the same type of plasmid can also differ from strain to strain, impeding the inference of plasmid function from one strain to another. To facilitate the investigation of the role of specific B. burgdorferi plasmids, we developed a Cas9-based approach that targets a plasmid for removal. As a proof-of-principle, we showed that targeting wild-type Cas9 to several loci on the endogenous plasmids lp25 or lp28-1 of the B. burgdorferi type strain B31 results in sgRNA-specific plasmid loss even when homologous sequences (i.e., potential sequence donors for DNA recombination) are present nearby. Cas9 nickase versions, Cas9D10A or Cas9H840A, also cause plasmid loss, though not as robustly. Thus, sgRNA-directed Cas9 DNA cleavage provides a highly efficient way to eliminate B. burgdorferi endogenous plasmids that are non-essential in axenic culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Constantin N. Takacs
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Sarafan ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Yuko Nakajima
- Department of Biology and Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James E. Haber
- Department of Biology and Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christine Jacobs-Wagner
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Sarafan ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cordeiro TFVB, Gontijo MTP, Jorge GP, Brocchi M. EbfC/YbaB: A Widely Distributed Nucleoid-Associated Protein in Prokaryotes. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10101945. [PMID: 36296221 PMCID: PMC9610160 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10101945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic compaction is an essential characteristic of living organisms. Nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are a group of small proteins that play crucial roles in chromosome architecture and affect DNA replication, transcription, and recombination by imposing topological alterations in genomic DNA, thereby modulating global gene expression. EbfC/YbaB was first described as a DNA-binding protein of Borrelia burgdorferi that regulates the expression of surface lipoproteins with roles in virulence. Further studies indicated that this protein binds specifically and non-specifically to DNA and colocalises with nucleoids in this bacterium. The data showed that this protein binds to DNA as a homodimer, although it can form other organised structures. Crystallography analysis indicated that the protein possesses domains responsible for protein–protein interactions and forms a “tweezer” structure probably involved in DNA binding. Moreover, sequence analysis revealed conserved motifs that may be associated with dimerisation. Structural analysis also showed that the tridimensional structure of EbfC/YbaB is highly conserved within the bacterial domain. The DNA-binding activity was observed in different bacterial species, suggesting that this protein can protect DNA during stress conditions. These findings indicate that EbfC/YbaB is a broadly distributed NAP. Here, we present a review of the existing data on this NAP.
Collapse
|
16
|
FtlA and FtlB Are Candidates for Inclusion in a Next-Generation Multiantigen Subunit Vaccine for Lyme Disease. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0036422. [PMID: 36102656 PMCID: PMC9584329 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00364-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-transmitted bacterial infection caused by Borreliella burgdorferi and other closely related species collectively referred to as the LD spirochetes. The LD spirochetes encode an uncharacterized family of proteins originally designated protein family twelve (PF12). In B. burgdorferi strain B31, PF12 consists of four plasmid-carried genes, encoding BBK01, BBG01, BBH37, and BBJ08. Henceforth, we designate the PF12 proteins family twelve lipoprotein (Ftl) A (FtlA) (BBK01), FtlB (BBG01), FtlC (BBH37), and FtlD (BBJ08). The goal of this study was to assess the potential utility of the Ftl proteins in subunit vaccine development. Immunoblot analyses of LD spirochete cell lysates demonstrated that one or more of the Ftl proteins are produced by most LD isolates during cultivation. The Ftl proteins were verified to be membrane associated, and nondenaturing PAGE revealed that FtlA, FtlB, and FtlD formed dimers, while FtlC formed hexamers. Analysis of serum samples from B. burgdorferi antibody (Ab)-positive client-owned dogs (n = 50) and horses (n = 90) revealed that a majority were anti-Ftl Ab positive. Abs to the Ftl proteins were detected in serum samples from laboratory-infected dogs out to 497 days postinfection. Anti-FtlA and FtlB antisera displayed potent complement-dependent Ab-mediated killing activity, and epitope localization revealed that the bactericidal epitopes reside within the N-terminal domain of the Ftl proteins. This study suggests that FtlA and FtlB are potential candidates for inclusion in a multivalent vaccine for LD.
Collapse
|
17
|
Socarras KM, Haslund-Gourley BS, Cramer NA, Comunale MA, Marconi RT, Ehrlich GD. Large-Scale Sequencing of Borreliaceae for the Construction of Pan-Genomic-Based Diagnostics. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:1604. [PMID: 36140772 PMCID: PMC9498496 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The acceleration of climate change has been associated with an alarming increase in the prevalence and geographic range of tick-borne diseases (TBD), many of which have severe and long-lasting effects-particularly when treatment is delayed principally due to inadequate diagnostics and lack of physician suspicion. Moreover, there is a paucity of treatment options for many TBDs that are complicated by diagnostic limitations for correctly identifying the offending pathogens. This review will focus on the biology, disease pathology, and detection methodologies used for the Borreliaceae family which includes the Lyme disease agent Borreliella burgdorferi. Previous work revealed that Borreliaceae genomes differ from most bacteria in that they are composed of large numbers of replicons, both linear and circular, with the main chromosome being the linear with telomeric-like termini. While these findings are novel, additional gene-specific analyses of each class of these multiple replicons are needed to better understand their respective roles in metabolism and pathogenesis of these enigmatic spirochetes. Historically, such studies were challenging due to a dearth of both analytic tools and a sufficient number of high-fidelity genomes among the various taxa within this family as a whole to provide for discriminative and functional genomic studies. Recent advances in long-read whole-genome sequencing, comparative genomics, and machine-learning have provided the tools to better understand the fundamental biology and phylogeny of these genomically-complex pathogens while also providing the data for the development of improved diagnostics and therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kayla M. Socarras
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Benjamin S. Haslund-Gourley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Nicholas A. Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 1112 East Clay Street, Room 101 Health Sciences Research Building, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Mary Ann Comunale
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Richard T. Marconi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 1112 East Clay Street, Room 101 Health Sciences Research Building, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Garth D. Ehrlich
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 1112 East Clay Street, Room 101 Health Sciences Research Building, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kneubehl AR, Krishnavajhala A, Leal SM, Replogle AJ, Kingry LC, Bermúdez SE, Labruna MB, Lopez JE. Comparative genomics of the Western Hemisphere soft tick-borne relapsing fever borreliae highlights extensive plasmid diversity. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:410. [PMID: 35641918 PMCID: PMC9158201 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08523-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is a globally prevalent, yet under-studied vector-borne disease transmitted by soft and hard bodied ticks. While soft TBRF (sTBRF) spirochetes have been described for over a century, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms facilitating vector and host adaptation is poorly understood. This is due to the complexity of their small (~ 1.5 Mb) but fragmented genomes that typically consist of a linear chromosome and both linear and circular plasmids. A majority of sTBRF spirochete genomes' plasmid sequences are either missing or are deposited as unassembled sequences. Consequently, our goal was to generate complete, plasmid-resolved genomes for a comparative analysis of sTBRF species of the Western Hemisphere. RESULTS Utilizing a Borrelia specific pipeline, genomes of sTBRF spirochetes from the Western Hemisphere were sequenced and assembled using a combination of short- and long-read sequencing technologies. Included in the analysis were the two recently isolated species from Central and South America, Borrelia puertoricensis n. sp. and Borrelia venezuelensis, respectively. Plasmid analyses identified diverse sequences that clustered plasmids into 30 families; however, only three families were conserved and syntenic across all species. We also compared two species, B. venezuelensis and Borrelia turicatae, which were isolated ~ 6,800 km apart and from different tick vector species but were previously reported to be genetically similar. CONCLUSIONS To truly understand the biological differences observed between species of TBRF spirochetes, complete chromosome and plasmid sequences are needed. This comparative genomic analysis highlights high chromosomal synteny across the species yet diverse plasmid composition. This was particularly true for B. turicatae and B. venezuelensis, which had high average nucleotide identity yet extensive plasmid diversity. These findings are foundational for future endeavors to evaluate the role of plasmids in vector and host adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Kneubehl
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Sebastián Muñoz Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Adam J Replogle
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Luke C Kingry
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sergio E Bermúdez
- Medical Entomology Department, Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Research, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva E Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária E Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wong JK, Crowley MA, Bankhead T. Deletion of a Genetic Region of lp17 Affects Plasmid Copy Number in Borrelia burgdorferi. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:884171. [PMID: 35493747 PMCID: PMC9039534 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.884171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease pathogen, is maintained in its enzootic life cycle through complex gene regulatory pathways encoded on its uniquely fragmented genome. This genome consists of over 20 plasmids, and the regulatory mechanisms of plasmid maintenance and replication are largely unknown. The bbd21 gene, encoded on lp17 and a member of the paralogous family 32 proteins, was originally proposed to be a putative parA orthologue involved with plasmid partitioning; however, this function has not been confirmed to date. To determine the role of bbd21 in B. burgdorferi, we utilized targeted gene deletion and discovered bbd21 and bbd22 are co-transcribed. The effects of bbd21 and bbd22 deletion on plasmid copy number and mammalian infectivity were assessed. By qPCR, lp17 copy number did not differ amongst strains during mid-exponential and stationary growth phases. However, after in vitro passaging, the mutant strain demonstrated an 8-fold increase in lp17 copies, suggesting a cumulative defect in plasmid copy number regulation. Additionally, we compared lp17 copy number between in vitro and mammalian host-adapted conditions. Our findings showed 1) lp17 copy number was significantly different between these growth conditions for both the wild type and bbd21-bbd22 deletion mutant and 2) under mammalian host-adapted cultivation, the absence of bbd21-bbd22 resulted in significantly decreased copies of lp17. Murine infection studies using culture and qPCR demonstrated bbd21-bbd22 deletion resulted in a tissue colonization defect, particularly in the heart. Lastly, we showed bbd21 transcription appears to be independent of direct rpoS regulation based on similar expression levels in wild type and ΔrpoS. Altogether, our findings indicate the bbd21-bbd22 genetic region is involved with regulation of lp17 plasmid copy number. Furthermore, we propose the possibility that lp17 plasmid copy number is important for microbial pathogenesis by the Lyme disease spirochete.
Collapse
|
20
|
Utilizing Two Borrelia bavariensis Isolates Naturally Lacking the PFam54 Gene Array To Elucidate the Roles of PFam54-Encoded Proteins. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0155521. [PMID: 34986011 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01555-21] [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: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere, caused by spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, which are transmitted by ixodid ticks. B. burgdorferi sensu lato species produce a family of proteins on the linear plasmid 54 (PFam54), some of which confer the functions of cell adhesion and inactivation of complement, the first line of host defense. However, the impact of PFam54 in promoting B. burgdorferi sensu lato pathogenesis remains unclear because of the hurdles to simultaneously knock out all PFam54 proteins in a spirochete. Here, we describe two Borrelia bavariensis strains, PBN and PNi, isolated from patients naturally lacking PFam54 but maintaining the rest of the genome with greater than 95% identity to the reference B. bavariensis strain, PBi. We found that PBN and PNi less efficiently survive in human serum than PBi. Such defects were restored by introducing two B. bavariensis PFam54 recombinant proteins, BGA66 and BGA71, confirming the role of these proteins in providing complement evasion of B. bavariensis. Further, we found that all three strains remain detectable in various murine tissues 21 days post-subcutaneous infection, supporting the nonessential role of B. bavariensis PFam54 in promoting spirochete persistence. This study identified and utilized isolates deficient in PFam54 to associate the defects with the absence of these proteins, building the foundation to further study the role of each PFam54 protein in contributing to B. burgdorferi sensu lato pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE To establish infections, Lyme borreliae utilize various means to overcome the host's immune system. Proteins encoded by the PFam54 gene array play a role in spirochete survival in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, this gene array has been described in all currently available Lyme borreliae genomes. By investigating the first two Borrelia bavariensis isolates naturally lacking the entire PFam54 gene array, we showed that both patient isolates display an increased susceptibility to human serum, which can be rescued in the presence of two PFam54 recombinant proteins. However, both isolates remain infectious to mice after intradermal inoculation, suggesting the nonessential role of PFam54 during the long-term, but may differ slightly in the colonization of specific tissues. Furthermore, these isolates show high genomic similarity to type strain PBi (>95%) and could be used in future studies investigating the role of each PFam54 protein in Lyme borreliosis pathogenesis.
Collapse
|
21
|
Bobe JR, Jutras BL, Horn EJ, Embers ME, Bailey A, Moritz RL, Zhang Y, Soloski MJ, Ostfeld RS, Marconi RT, Aucott J, Ma'ayan A, Keesing F, Lewis K, Ben Mamoun C, Rebman AW, McClune ME, Breitschwerdt EB, Reddy PJ, Maggi R, Yang F, Nemser B, Ozcan A, Garner O, Di Carlo D, Ballard Z, Joung HA, Garcia-Romeu A, Griffiths RR, Baumgarth N, Fallon BA. Recent Progress in Lyme Disease and Remaining Challenges. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:666554. [PMID: 34485323 PMCID: PMC8416313 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.666554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with an estimated 476,000 cases per year. While historically, the long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has been controversial, mounting evidence supports the idea that a substantial number of patients experience persistent symptoms following treatment. The research community has largely lacked the necessary funding to properly advance the scientific and clinical understanding of the disease, or to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Given the many outstanding questions raised into the diagnosis, clinical presentation and treatment of Lyme disease, and the underlying molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease, there is an urgent need for more support. This review article summarizes progress over the past 5 years in our understanding of Lyme and tick-borne diseases in the United States and highlights remaining challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason R. Bobe
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Brandon L. Jutras
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | | | - Monica E. Embers
- Tulane University Health Sciences, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Allison Bailey
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mark J. Soloski
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Richard T. Marconi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - John Aucott
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Avi Ma'ayan
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Kim Lewis
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Alison W. Rebman
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mecaila E. McClune
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Edward B. Breitschwerdt
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | | | - Ricardo Maggi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Frank Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Bennett Nemser
- Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, Stamford, CT, United States
| | - Aydogan Ozcan
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Omai Garner
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Zachary Ballard
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hyou-Arm Joung
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Albert Garcia-Romeu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roland R. Griffiths
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Nicole Baumgarth
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases and the Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Brian A. Fallon
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Leydet BF, Liang FT. Unexpected failure of Ixodes scapularis nymphs to transmit a North American Borrelia bissettiae strain. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2021; 1:100039. [PMID: 35284869 PMCID: PMC8906133 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Globally, the Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) complex comprises more than 21 species of spirochetes. Although the USA is home to a diverse fauna of Lyme disease group Borrelia species, only two are considered responsible for human clinical disease: Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) and Borrelia mayonii. However, evidence has implicated additional B. burgdorferi (s.l.) species in human illness elsewhere. While much research has focused on the B. burgdorferi (s.s.)-tick interface, tick vectors for most of the other North American Lyme disease group Borrelia species remain experimentally unconfirmed. In this report we document the ability of Ixodes scapularis to acquire but not transmit a single strain of Borrelia bissettiae, a potential human pathogen, in a murine infection model. Pathogen-free I. scapularis larvae were allowed to feed on mice with disseminated B. burgdorferi (s.s.) or B. bissettiae infections. Molted infected nymphs were then allowed to feed on naïve mice to assess transmission to a susceptible host through spirochete culture and qPCR throughout in ticks collected at various developmental stages (fed larvae and nymphs, molted nymphs, and adults). In this study, similar proportions of I. scapularis larvae acquired B. bissettiae and B. burgdorferi (s.s.) but transstadial passage to the nymphal stage was less effective for B. bissettiae. Furthermore, B. bissettiae-infected nymphs did not transmit B. bissettiae infection to naïve susceptible mice as determined by tissue culture and serology. In the tick, B. bissettiae spirochete levels slightly increased from fed larvae to molted and then fed nymphs, yet the bacteria were absent in molted adults. Moreover, in contrast to B. burgdorferi (s.s.), B. bissettiae failed to exponentially increase in upon completion of feeding in our transmission experiment. In this specific model, I. scapularis was unable to support B. bissettiae throughout its life-cycle, and while live spirochetes were detected in B. bissettiae-infected ticks fed on naïve mice, there was no evidence of murine infection. These data question the vector competence of Ixodes scapularis for B. bissettiae. More importantly, this specific B. bissettiae-I. scapularis model may provide a tool for researchers to delineate details on mechanisms involved in Borrelia-tick compatibility.
Collapse
|
23
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
The genus Borrelia consists of evolutionarily and genetically diverse bacterial species that cause a variety of diseases in humans and domestic animals. These vector-borne spirochetes can be classified into two major evolutionary groups, the Lyme borreliosis clade and the relapsing fever clade, both of which have complex transmission cycles during which they interact with multiple host species and arthropod vectors. Molecular, ecological, and evolutionary studies have each provided significant contributions towards our understanding of the natural history, biology and evolutionary genetics of Borrelia species; however, integration of these studies is required to identify the evolutionary causes and consequences of the genetic variation within and among Borrelia species. For example, molecular and genetic studies have identified the adaptations that maximize fitness components throughout the Borrelia lifecycle and enhance transmission efficacy but provide limited insights into the evolutionary pressures that have produced them. Ecological studies can identify interactions between Borrelia species and the vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors they encounter and the resulting impact on the geographic distribution and abundance of spirochetes but not the genetic or molecular basis underlying these interactions. In this review we discuss recent findings on the evolutionary genetics from both of the evolutionarily distinct clades of Borrelia species. We focus on connecting molecular interactions to the ecological processes that have driven the evolution and diversification of Borrelia species in order to understand the current distribution of genetic and molecular variation within and between Borrelia species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Oppler
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 South University Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kayleigh R. O’Keeffe
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 South University Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karen D. McCoy
- Centre for Research on the Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), MiVEGEC, University of Montpellier – CNRS - IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Dustin Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 South University Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
O'Keeffe KR, Oppler ZJ, Brisson D. Evolutionary ecology of Lyme Borrelia. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2020; 85:104570. [PMID: 32998077 PMCID: PMC8349510 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The bacterial genus, Borrelia, is comprised of vector-borne spirochete species that infect and are transmitted from multiple host species. Some Borrelia species cause highly-prevalent diseases in humans and domestic animals. Evolutionary, ecological, and molecular research on many Borrelia species have resulted in tremendous progress toward understanding the biology and natural history of these species. Yet, many outstanding questions, such as how Borrelia populations will be impacted by climate and land-use change, will require an interdisciplinary approach. The evolutionary ecology research framework incorporates theory and data from evolutionary, ecological, and molecular studies while overcoming common assumptions within each field that can hinder integration across these disciplines. Evolutionary ecology offers a framework to evaluate the ecological consequences of evolved traits and to predict how present-day ecological processes may result in further evolutionary change. Studies of microbes with complex transmission cycles, like Borrelia, which interact with multiple vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors, are poised to leverage the power of the evolutionary ecology framework to identify the molecular interactions involved in ecological processes that result in evolutionary change. Using existing data, we outline how evolutionary ecology theory can delineate how interactions with other species and the physical environment create selective forces or impact migration of Borrelia populations and result in micro-evolutionary changes. We further discuss the ecological and molecular consequences of those micro-evolutionary changes. While many of the currently outstanding questions will necessitate new experimental designs and additional empirical data, many others can be addressed immediately by integrating existing molecular and ecological data within an evolutionary ecology framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zachary J Oppler
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dustin Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Becker NS, Rollins RE, Nosenko K, Paulus A, Martin S, Krebs S, Takano A, Sato K, Kovalev SY, Kawabata H, Fingerle V, Margos G. High conservation combined with high plasticity: genomics and evolution of Borrelia bavariensis. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:702. [PMID: 33032522 PMCID: PMC7542741 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07054-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Borrelia bavariensis is one of the agents of Lyme Borreliosis (or Lyme disease) in Eurasia. The genome of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, that includes B. bavariensis, is known to be very complex and fragmented making the assembly of whole genomes with next-generation sequencing data a challenge. Results We present a genome reconstruction for 33 B. bavariensis isolates from Eurasia based on long-read (Pacific Bioscience, for three isolates) and short-read (Illumina) data. We show that the combination of both sequencing techniques allows proper genome reconstruction of all plasmids in most cases but use of a very close reference is necessary when only short-read sequencing data is available. B. bavariensis genomes combine a high degree of genetic conservation with high plasticity: all isolates share the main chromosome and five plasmids, but the repertoire of other plasmids is highly variable. In addition to plasmid losses and gains through horizontal transfer, we also observe several fusions between plasmids. Although European isolates of B. bavariensis have little diversity in genome content, there is some geographic structure to this variation. In contrast, each Asian isolate has a unique plasmid repertoire and we observe no geographically based differences between Japanese and Russian isolates. Comparing the genomes of Asian and European populations of B. bavariensis suggests that some genes which are markedly different between the two populations may be good candidates for adaptation to the tick vector, (Ixodes ricinus in Europe and I. persulcatus in Asia). Conclusions We present the characterization of genomes of a large sample of B. bavariensis isolates and show that their plasmid content is highly variable. This study opens the way for genomic studies seeking to understand host and vector adaptation as well as human pathogenicity in Eurasian Lyme Borreliosis agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noémie S Becker
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Robert E Rollins
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Kateryna Nosenko
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Alexander Paulus
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Samantha Martin
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,University of Helsinki, Biomedicum Helsinki, PO Box 63, Haartmaninkatu 8, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Gene Center, Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, LMU Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 25, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Ai Takano
- Department of Veterinary Epidemiology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Kozue Sato
- Department of Bacteriology-I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Sergey Y Kovalev
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ural Federal University, Lenin Avenue 51, Yekaterinburg, 620000, Russia
| | - Hiroki Kawabata
- Department of Bacteriology-I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Volker Fingerle
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Gabriele Margos
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Chaconas G, Castellanos M, Verhey TB. Changing of the guard: How the Lyme disease spirochete subverts the host immune response. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:301-313. [PMID: 31753921 PMCID: PMC6956529 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev119.008583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is the most common tick-transmitted disease in the Northern Hemisphere. The disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and other related Borrelia species. One of the many fascinating features of this unique pathogen is an elaborate system for antigenic variation, whereby the sequence of the surface-bound lipoprotein VlsE is continually modified through segmental gene conversion events. This perpetual changing of the guard allows the pathogen to remain one step ahead of the acquired immune response, enabling persistent infection. Accordingly, the vls locus is the most evolutionarily diverse genetic element in Lyme disease-causing borreliae. Small stretches of information are transferred from a series of silent cassettes in the vls locus to generate an expressed mosaic vlsE gene version that contains genetic information from several different silent cassettes, resulting in ∼1040 possible vlsE sequences. Yet, despite its extreme evolutionary flexibility, the locus has rigidly conserved structural features. These include a telomeric location of the vlsE gene, an inverse orientation of vlsE and the silent cassettes, the presence of nearly perfect inverted repeats of ∼100 bp near the 5' end of vlsE, and an exceedingly high concentration of G runs in vlsE and the silent cassettes. We discuss the possible roles of these evolutionarily conserved features, highlight recent findings from several studies that have used next-generation DNA sequencing to unravel the switching process, and review advances in the development of a mini-vls system for genetic manipulation of the locus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George Chaconas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Mildred Castellanos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Theodore B Verhey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kuleshov KV, Margos G, Fingerle V, Koetsveld J, Goptar IA, Markelov ML, Kolyasnikova NM, Sarksyan DS, Kirdyashkina NP, Shipulin GA, Hovius JW, Platonov AE. Whole genome sequencing of Borrelia miyamotoi isolate Izh-4: reference for a complex bacterial genome. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:16. [PMID: 31906865 PMCID: PMC6945570 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6388-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genus Borrelia comprises spirochaetal bacteria maintained in natural transmission cycles by tick vectors and vertebrate reservoir hosts. The main groups are represented by a species complex including the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis and relapsing fever group Borrelia. Borrelia miyamotoi belongs to the relapsing fever group of spirochetes and forms distinct populations in North America, Asia, and Europe. As all Borrelia species B. miyamotoi possess an unusual and complex genome consisting of a linear chromosome and a number of linear and circular plasmids. The species is considered an emerging human pathogen and an increasing number of human cases are being described in the Northern hemisphere. The aim of this study was to produce a high quality reference genome that will facilitate future studies into genetic differences between different populations and the genome plasticity of B. miyamotoi. RESULTS We used multiple available sequencing methods, including Pacific Bioscience single-molecule real-time technology (SMRT) and Oxford Nanopore technology (ONT) supplemented with highly accurate Illumina sequences, to explore the suitability for whole genome assembly of the Russian B. miyamotoi isolate, Izh-4. Plasmids were typed according to their potential plasmid partitioning genes (PF32, 49, 50, 57/62). Comparing and combining results of both long-read (SMRT and ONT) and short-read methods (Illumina), we determined that the genome of the isolate Izh-4 consisted of one linear chromosome, 12 linear and two circular plasmids. Whilst the majority of plasmids had corresponding contigs in the Asian B. miyamotoi isolate FR64b, there were only four that matched plasmids of the North American isolate CT13-2396, indicating differences between B. miyamotoi populations. Several plasmids, e.g. lp41, lp29, lp23, and lp24, were found to carry variable major proteins. Amongst those were variable large proteins (Vlp) subtype Vlp-α, Vlp-γ, Vlp-δ and also Vlp-β. Phylogenetic analysis of common plasmids types showed the uniqueness in Russian/Asian isolates of B. miyamotoi compared to other isolates. CONCLUSIONS We here describe the genome of a Russian B. miyamotoi clinical isolate, providing a solid basis for future comparative genomics of B. miyamotoi isolates. This will be a great impetus for further basic, molecular and epidemiological research on this emerging tick-borne pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin V Kuleshov
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Moscow, 111123, Russia.
- Federal State Budget Scientific Institution "Federal Scientific Center VIEV", Moscow, Russia.
| | - Gabriele Margos
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Joris Koetsveld
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irina A Goptar
- Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Nadezhda M Kolyasnikova
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Moscow, 111123, Russia
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and- Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis S Sarksyan
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Izhevsk State Medical Academy, Izhevsk, Russia
| | | | - German A Shipulin
- Center of Strategical Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Ministry of Health, Moscow, Russia
| | - Joppe W Hovius
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Bamm VV, Ko JT, Mainprize IL, Sanderson VP, Wills MKB. Lyme Disease Frontiers: Reconciling Borrelia Biology and Clinical Conundrums. Pathogens 2019; 8:E299. [PMID: 31888245 PMCID: PMC6963551 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8040299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is a complex tick-borne zoonosis that poses an escalating public health threat in several parts of the world, despite sophisticated healthcare infrastructure and decades of effort to address the problem. Concepts like the true burden of the illness, from incidence rates to longstanding consequences of infection, and optimal case management, also remain shrouded in controversy. At the heart of this multidisciplinary issue are the causative spirochetal pathogens belonging to the Borrelia Lyme complex. Their unusual physiology and versatile lifestyle have challenged microbiologists, and may also hold the key to unlocking mysteries of the disease. The goal of this review is therefore to integrate established and emerging concepts of Borrelia biology and pathogenesis, and position them in the broader context of biomedical research and clinical practice. We begin by considering the conventions around diagnosing and characterizing Lyme disease that have served as a conceptual framework for the discipline. We then explore virulence from the perspective of both host (genetic and environmental predispositions) and pathogen (serotypes, dissemination, and immune modulation), as well as considering antimicrobial strategies (lab methodology, resistance, persistence, and clinical application), and borrelial adaptations of hypothesized medical significance (phenotypic plasticity or pleomorphy).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Melanie K. B. Wills
- G. Magnotta Lyme Disease Research Lab, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (V.V.B.); (J.T.K.); (I.L.M.); (V.P.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Margos G, Fingerle V, Reynolds S. Borrelia bavariensis: Vector Switch, Niche Invasion, and Geographical Spread of a Tick-Borne Bacterial Parasite. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
|
32
|
Distinction between Borrelia and Borreliella is more robustly supported by molecular and phenotypic characteristics than all other neighbouring prokaryotic genera: Response to Margos' et al. "The genus Borrelia reloaded" (PLoS ONE 13(12): e0208432). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221397. [PMID: 31454394 PMCID: PMC6711536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In a recent publication in PLOS ONE, Gabriele Margos and colleagues have questioned the division of the genus Borrelia into two genera on the basis that the differences in percentage of conserved proteins (POCP) between these two groups is >50%, which an earlier study has suggested as the threshold for differentiating prokaryotic genera. However, the POCP threshold is a poorly characterized and rarely used criterion for establishing distinction among prokaryotic genera. Detailed evaluation of the intergeneric POCP values for 37 genera from 3 different families (viz. Enterobacteriaceae- 24 genera, Morganellaceae-8 genera and Cystobacteraceae-5 genera) presented here shows that the POCP values for all genera within each of these families exceeded >58%. Thus, the suggested POCP threshold is not a useful criterion for delimitation of genus boundary and the objection by Margos et al. on this ground is invalid. Additionally, Margos et al. have questioned the specificities of ~15–20% of the conserved signature indels (CSIs) described in our work. However, as shown here, this concern is due to misunderstanding of the results and the CSIs in question are still highly-specific characteristics of the members of these genera and they provide important information regarding the evolutionary relationships of two new reptiles-echidna-related species viz. Borrelia turcica and Candidatus Borrelia tachyglossi to other Borrelia species. Results presented here show that both these species are deeper-branching members of the genus Borrelia and their placement within this genus is strongly supported by phylogenetic analyses and multiple uniquely shared CSIs with the other Borrelia species. Based on the large body of evidence derived from phylogenetic, genomic, molecular, phenotypic and clinical features, it is contended that the characteristics clearly distinguishing the Borrelia and Borreliella genera are far more numerous and of different kinds than those discerning most (all) other neighbouring genera of prokaryotes. Thus, the placement of these two groups of microorganisms into distinct genera, Borrelia and Borreliella, which clearly recognizes the differences among them, is highly appropriate and it should lead to a better understanding of the clinical, molecular and biological differences between these two important groups of microbes.
Collapse
|
33
|
Criscuolo A. A fast alignment-free bioinformatics procedure to infer accurate distance-based phylogenetic trees from genome assemblies. RESEARCH IDEAS AND OUTCOMES 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/rio.5.e36178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper describes a novel alignment-free distance-based procedure for inferring phylogenetic trees from genome contig sequences using publicly available bioinformatics tools. For each pair of genomes, a dissimilarity measure is first computed and next transformed to obtain an estimation of the number of substitution events that have occurred during their evolution. These pairwise evolutionary distances are then used to infer a phylogenetic tree and assess a confidence support for each internal branch. Analyses of both simulated and real genome datasets show that this bioinformatics procedure allows accurate phylogenetic trees to be reconstructed with fast running times, especially when launched on multiple threads. Implemented in a publicly available script, named JolyTree, this procedure is a useful approach for quickly inferring species trees without the burden and potential biases of multiple sequence alignments.
Collapse
|
34
|
Genotyping and Quantifying Lyme Pathogen Strains by Deep Sequencing of the Outer Surface Protein C ( ospC) Locus. J Clin Microbiol 2018; 56:JCM.00940-18. [PMID: 30158192 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00940-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A mixed infection of a single tick or host by Lyme disease spirochetes is common and a unique challenge for the diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance of Lyme disease. Here, we describe a novel protocol for differentiating Lyme strains on the basis of deep sequencing of the hypervariable outer surface protein C locus (ospC). Improving upon the traditional DNA-DNA hybridization method, the next-generation sequencing-based protocol is high throughput, quantitative, and able to detect new pathogen strains. We applied the method to more than one hundred infected Ixodes scapularis ticks collected from New York State, USA, in 2015 and 2016. An analysis of strain distributions within individual ticks suggests an overabundance of multiple infections by five or more strains, inhibitory interactions among coinfecting strains, and the presence of a new strain closely related to Borreliella bissettiae A supporting bioinformatics pipeline has been developed. The newly designed pair of universal ospC primers target intergenic sequences conserved among all known Lyme pathogens. The protocol could be used for culture-free identification and quantification of Lyme pathogens in wildlife and potentially in clinical specimens.
Collapse
|
35
|
Gofton AW, Margos G, Fingerle V, Hepner S, Loh SM, Ryan U, Irwin P, Oskam CL. Genome-wide analysis of Borrelia turcica and 'Candidatus Borrelia tachyglossi' shows relapsing fever-like genomes with unique genomic links to Lyme disease Borrelia. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2018; 66:72-81. [PMID: 30240834 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia are tick-borne bacteria that in humans are the aetiological agents of Lyme disease and relapsing fever. Here we present the first genomes of B. turcica and B. tachyglossi, members of a recently described and rapidly expanding Borrelia clade associated with reptile (B. turcica) or echidna (B. tachyglossi) hosts, transmitted by hard ticks, and of unknown pathogenicity. Borrelia tachyglossi and B. turcica genomes are similar to those of relapsing fever Borrelia species, containing a linear ~ 900 kb chromosome, a single long (> 70 kb) linear plasmid, and numerous short (< 40 kb) linear and circular plasmids, as well as a suite of housekeeping and macronutrient biosynthesis genes which are not found in Lyme disease Borrelia. Additionally, both B. tachyglossi and B. turcica contain paralogous vsp and vlp proteins homologous to those used in the multiphasic antigen-switching system used by relapsing fever Borrelia to evade vertebrate immune responses, although their number was greatly reduced compared to human-infectious species. However, B. tachyglossi and B. turcica chromosomes also contain numerous genes orthologous to Lyme disease Borrelia-specific genes, demonstrating a unique evolutionary, and potentially phenotypic link between these groups. Borrelia tachyglossi and B. turcica genomes also have unique genetic features, including degraded and deleted tRNA modification genes, and an expanded range of macronutrient salvage and biosynthesis genes compared to relapsing fever and Lyme disease Borrelia. These genomes and genomic comparisons provide an insight into the biology and evolutionary origin of these Borrelia, and provide a valuable resource for future work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander W Gofton
- The Vector and Water-Borne Pathogen Research Group, The School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia; Present address: Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Black Mountain, Canberra 2601, Australia.
| | - Gabriele Margos
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, Oberschleissheim, 85764, Germany
| | - Volker Fingerle
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, Oberschleissheim, 85764, Germany
| | - Sabrina Hepner
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, Oberschleissheim, 85764, Germany
| | - Siew-May Loh
- The Vector and Water-Borne Pathogen Research Group, The School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
| | - Una Ryan
- The Vector and Water-Borne Pathogen Research Group, The School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
| | - Peter Irwin
- The Vector and Water-Borne Pathogen Research Group, The School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- The Vector and Water-Borne Pathogen Research Group, The School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bontemps-Gallo S, Lawrence KA, Richards CL, Gherardini FC. Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Borrelia afzelii BO23 and Borrelia garinii CIP 103362. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199641. [PMID: 29944685 PMCID: PMC6019248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the number of Lyme disease or borreliosis cases in Eurasia has been dramatically increasing. This tick-borne disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which includes B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, the main species found in North America, and B. afzelii and B. garinii, which are primarily responsible for the disease in Eurasia. Currently, research on Lyme disease has focused mainly on B. burgdorferi while B. afzelii and B. garinii, which cause disease with distinctly different symptoms, are less studied. The purpose of this study is to evaluate B. afzelii BO23 and B. garinii CIP 103362 as model organisms to study Eurasian Lyme disease. To begin our analyses, we sequenced, annotated the chromosomes of both species and compared them to B. burgdorferi strain B31. We also assayed shuttle vector, pBSV2, for transformation efficacy and demonstrated that these strains can be cultured on solid media. In addition, we characterized how physicochemical parameters (e.g., oxygen, osmolarity, oxidative stress) affect both growth and motility of the bacteria. Finally, we describe each strain's antibiotic susceptibility and accessed their ability to infect mice. In conclusion, B. afzelii BO23 was more practical for in vitro and in vivo studies than B. garinii CIP 103362.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Bontemps-Gallo
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Kevin A. Lawrence
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Crystal L. Richards
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Frank C. Gherardini
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|