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Casselli T, Tourand Y, Gura K, Stevenson B, Zückert WR, Brissette CA. Endogenous Linear Plasmids lp28-4 and lp25 Are Required for Infectivity and Restriction Protection in the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia mayonii. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0006123. [PMID: 36853005 PMCID: PMC10016076 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00061-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia mayonii is a newly recognized causative agent of Lyme disease in the Upper Midwestern United States, with distinct clinical presentations compared to classical Lyme disease caused by other Lyme Borrelia species. However, little is known about the B. mayonii genetic determinants required for establishing infection or perpetuating disease in mammals. Extrachromosomal plasmids in Borrelia species often encode proteins necessary for infection and pathogenesis, and spontaneous loss of these plasmids can lead to the identification of virulence determinant genes. Here, we describe infection of Lyme disease-susceptible C3H mice with B. mayonii, and show bacterial dissemination and persistence in peripheral tissues. Loss of endogenous plasmids, including lp28-4, lp25, and lp36 correlated with reduced infectivity in mice. The apparent requirement for lp28-4 during murine infection suggests the presence of a novel virulence determinant, as this plasmid does not encode homologs of any known virulence determinant. We also describe transformation and stable maintenance of a self-replicating shuttle vector in B. mayonii, and show that loss of either lp25 or lp28-4 correlated with increased transformation competency. Finally, we demonstrate that linear plasmids lp25 and lp28-4 each encode functional restriction modification systems with distinct but partially overlapping target modification sequences, which likely accounts for the observed decrease in transformation efficiency when those plasmids are present. Taken together, this study describes a role for endogenous plasmids in mammalian infection and restriction protection in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia mayonii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Casselli
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
| | - Yvonne Tourand
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Gura
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
| | - Brian Stevenson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Wolfram R. Zückert
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Catherine A. Brissette
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
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Saylor TC, Casselli T, Lethbridge KG, Moore JP, Owens KM, Brissette CA, Zückert WR, Stevenson B. Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete, possesses genetically-encoded responses to doxycycline, but not to amoxicillin. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274125. [PMID: 36178885 PMCID: PMC9524633 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Some species of bacteria respond to antibiotic stresses by altering their transcription profiles, in order to produce proteins that provide protection against the antibiotic. Understanding these compensatory mechanisms allows for informed treatment strategies, and could lead to the development of improved therapeutics. To this end, studies were performed to determine whether Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, also exhibits genetically-encoded responses to the commonly prescribed antibiotics doxycycline and amoxicillin. After culturing for 24 h in a sublethal concentration of doxycycline, there were significant increases in a substantial number of transcripts for proteins that are involved with translation. In contrast, incubation with a sublethal concentration of amoxicillin did not lead to significant changes in levels of any bacterial transcript. We conclude that B. burgdorferi has a mechanism(s) that detects translational inhibition by doxycycline, and increases production of mRNAs for proteins involved with translation machinery in an attempt to compensate for that stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C. Saylor
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, School of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Timothy Casselli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Kathryn G. Lethbridge
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, School of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Jessamyn P. Moore
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, School of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Katie M. Owens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, School of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Catherine A. Brissette
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Wolfram R. Zückert
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Brian Stevenson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, School of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Casselli T, Divan A, Vomhof-DeKrey EE, Tourand Y, Pecoraro HL, Brissette CA. A murine model of Lyme disease demonstrates that Borrelia burgdorferi colonizes the dura mater and induces inflammation in the central nervous system. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009256. [PMID: 33524035 PMCID: PMC7877756 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, which is caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi and related species, can lead to inflammatory pathologies affecting the joints, heart, and nervous systems including the central nervous system (CNS). Inbred laboratory mice have been used to define the kinetics of B. burgdorferi infection and host immune responses in joints and heart, however similar studies are lacking in the CNS of these animals. A tractable animal model for investigating host-Borrelia interactions in the CNS is key to understanding the mechanisms of CNS pathogenesis. Therefore, we characterized the kinetics of B. burgdorferi colonization and associated immune responses in the CNS of mice during early and subacute infection. Using fluorescence-immunohistochemistry, intravital microscopy, bacterial culture, and quantitative PCR, we found B. burgdorferi routinely colonized the dura mater of C3H mice, with peak spirochete burden at day 7 post-infection. Dura mater colonization was observed for several Lyme disease agents including B. burgdorferi, B. garinii, and B. mayonii. RNA-sequencing and quantitative RT-PCR showed that B. burgdorferi infection was associated with increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and a robust interferon (IFN) response in the dura mater. Histopathologic changes including leukocytic infiltrates and vascular changes were also observed in the meninges of infected animals. In contrast to the meninges, we did not detect B. burgdorferi, infiltrating leukocytes, or large-scale changes in cytokine profiles in the cerebral cortex or hippocampus during infection; however, both brain regions demonstrated similar changes in expression of IFN-stimulated genes as observed in peripheral tissues and meninges. Taken together, B. burgdorferi is capable of colonizing the meninges in laboratory mice, and induces localized inflammation similar to peripheral tissues. A sterile IFN response in the absence of B. burgdorferi or inflammatory cytokines is unique to the brain parenchyma, and provides insight into the potential mechanisms of CNS pathology associated with this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Casselli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TC); (CAB)
| | - Ali Divan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Emilie E. Vomhof-DeKrey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
- Department of Surgery, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Yvonne Tourand
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Heidi L. Pecoraro
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Catherine A. Brissette
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TC); (CAB)
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Casselli T, Crowley MA, Highland MA, Tourand Y, Bankhead T. A small intergenic region of lp17 is required for evasion of adaptive immunity and induction of pathology by the Lyme disease spirochete. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13029. [PMID: 30945408 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, harbours a single linear chromosome and upwards of 23 linear and circular plasmids. Only a minority of these plasmids, including linear plasmid 17, are maintained with near-absolute fidelity during extended in vitro passage, and characterisation of any putative virulence determinants they encode has only recently begun. In this work, a mutant lacking a ~4.7 kb fragment of lp17 was studied. Colonisation of murine tissues by this lp17 mutant was significantly impaired, as was the ability to induce carditis and arthritis. The deficiency in tissue colonisation was alleviated in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, implicating a role for this plasmid region in adaptive immune evasion. Through genetic complementation, the mutant phenotype could be fully attributed to a 317 bp intergenic region that corresponds to the discontinued bbd07 ORF and upstream sequence. The intergenic region was found to be transcriptionally active, and mutant spirochetes lacking this region exhibited an overall difference in the antigenic profile during infection of an immunocompetent murine host. Overall, this study is the first to provide evidence for the involvement of lp17 in colonisation of joint and heart tissues, along with the associated pathologies caused by the Lyme disease spirochete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Casselli
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Michael A Crowley
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Margaret A Highland
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Yvonne Tourand
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Troy Bankhead
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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Casselli T, Qureshi H, Peterson E, Perley D, Blake E, Jokinen B, Abbas A, Nechaev S, Watt JA, Dhasarathy A, Brissette CA. MicroRNA and mRNA Transcriptome Profiling in Primary Human Astrocytes Infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170961. [PMID: 28135303 PMCID: PMC5279786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is caused by infection with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which is transmitted to humans by deer ticks. The infection manifests usually as a rash and minor systemic symptoms; however, the bacteria can spread to other tissues, causing joint pain, carditis, and neurological symptoms. Lyme neuroborreliosis presents itself in several ways, such as Bell's palsy, meningitis, and encephalitis. The molecular basis for neuroborreliosis is poorly understood. Analysis of the changes in the expression levels of messenger RNAs and non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs, following Bb infection could therefore provide vital information on the pathogenesis and clinical symptoms of neuroborreliosis. To this end, we used cultured primary human astrocytes, key responders to CNS infection and important components of the blood-brain barrier, as a model system to study RNA and microRNA changes in the CNS caused by Bb. Using whole transcriptome RNA-seq, we found significant changes in 38 microRNAs and 275 mRNAs at 24 and 48 hours following Bb infection. Several of the RNA changes affect pathways involved in immune response, development, chromatin assembly (including histones) and cell adhesion. Further, several of the microRNA predicted target mRNAs were also differentially regulated. Overall, our results indicate that exposure to Bb causes significant changes to the transcriptome and microRNA profile of astrocytes, which has implications in the pathogenesis, and hence potential treatment strategies to combat this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Casselli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Humaira Qureshi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Peterson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Danielle Perley
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Emily Blake
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Bradley Jokinen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Ata Abbas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Sergei Nechaev
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - John A. Watt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Archana Dhasarathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Catherine A. Brissette
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
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Casselli T, Bankhead T. Use of in vivo Expression Technology for the Identification of Putative Host Adaptation Factors of the Lyme Disease Spirochete. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 25:349-61. [PMID: 26488479 DOI: 10.1159/000439305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is an obligate parasite that requires either a tick vector or a mammalian host for survival. Identification of the bacterial genes that are specifically expressed during infection of the mammalian host could provide targets for novel therapeutics and vaccines. In vivo expression technology (IVET) is a reporter-based promoter trap system that utilizes selectable markers to identify promoters of bacterial host-specific genes. Using previously characterized genes for in vivo and in vitro selection, this study utilized an IVET system that allows for selection of B. burgdorferi sequences that act as active promoters only during murine infection. This promoter trap system was able to successfully distinguish active promoter sequences both in vivo and in vitro from control sequences and a library of cloned B. burgdorferi genomic fragments. However, a bottleneck effect during the experimental mouse infection limited the utility for genome-wide promoter screening. Overall, IVET was demonstrated as a tool for the identification of in vivo-induced promoter elements of B. burgdorferi, and the observed infection bottleneck apparent using a polyclonal infection pool provides insight into the dynamics of experimental infection with B. burgdorferi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Casselli
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., USA
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Rogovskyy AS, Casselli T, Tourand Y, Jones CR, Owen JP, Mason KL, Scoles GA, Bankhead T. Evaluation of the Importance of VlsE Antigenic Variation for the Enzootic Cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124268. [PMID: 25893989 PMCID: PMC4404307 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient acquisition and transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi by the tick vector, and the ability to persistently infect both vector and host, are important elements for the life cycle of the Lyme disease pathogen. Previous work has provided strong evidence implicating the significance of the vls locus for B. burgdorferi persistence. However, studies involving vls mutant clones have thus far only utilized in vitro-grown or host-adapted spirochetes and laboratory strains of mice. Additionally, the effects of vls mutation on tick acquisition and transmission has not yet been tested. Thus, the importance of VlsE antigenic variation for persistent infection of the natural reservoir host, and for the B. burgdorferi enzootic life cycle in general, has not been examined to date. In the current work, Ixodes scapularis and Peromyscus maniculatus were infected with different vls mutant clones to study the importance of the vls locus for the enzootic cycle of the Lyme disease pathogen. The findings highlight the significance of the vls system for long-term infection of the natural reservoir host, and show that VlsE antigenic variability is advantageous for efficient tick acquisition of B. burgdorferi from the mammalian reservoir. The data also indicate that the adaptation state of infecting spirochetes influences B. burgdorferi avoidance from host antibodies, which may be in part due to its respective VlsE expression levels. Overall, the current findings provide the most direct evidence on the importance of VlsE for the enzootic cycle of Lyme disease spirochetes, and underscore the significance of VlsE antigenic variation for maintaining B. burgdorferi in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem S. Rogovskyy
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Timothy Casselli
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Yvonne Tourand
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Cami R. Jones
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jeb P. Owen
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Kathleen L. Mason
- Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Glen A. Scoles
- Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Troy Bankhead
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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