Re: for brent: genetic exchange in bb

of course, then there's this:
....................................................................
Expression of complement factor H binding immunoevasion proteins in
Borrelia garinii isolated from patients with neuroborreliosis.

Alitalo A, Meri T, Comstedt P, Jeffery L, Tornberg J, Strandin T,
Lankinen H, Bergstrom S, Cinco M, Vuppala SR, Akins DR, Meri S.

Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute and
Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki,
Finland.

The Lyme disease-pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi binds the complement
inhibitor factor H (FH) to its outer surface protein E- (OspE) and
BbA68-families of lipoproteins. In earlier studies, only
serum-resistant strains of the genospecies B. burgdorferi sensu stricto
or B. afzelii, but not serum-sensitive B. garinii strains, have been
shown to bind FH. Since B. garinii often causes neuroborreliosis in
man, we have readdressed the interactions of B. garinii with FH. B.
garinii 50/97 strain did not express FH-binding proteins. By
transforming the B. garinii 50/97 strain with an OspE-encoding gene
from complement-resistant B. burgdorferi (ospE-297), its resistance to
serum killing could be increased. OspE genes were detected and cloned
from the B. garinii BITS, Pistoia and 40/97 strains by PCR and
sequencing. The deduced amino acid sequences differed in an N-terminal
lysine-rich FH-binding region from OspE sequences of resistant strains.
Recombinant B. garinii BITS OspE protein was found to have a
considerably lower FH-binding activity than the B. burgdorferi sensu
stricto 297 OspE protein P21 (P21-297). Unlike bacteria that had been
kept in culture for a long time, neurovirulent B. garinii strains from
neuroborreliosis patients were found to express approximately 27-kDa
FH-binding proteins. These were not recognized by polyclonal anti-OspE
or anti-BbA68 antibodies. We conclude that B. garinii strains carry
ospE genes but have a decreased expression of OspE proteins and a
reduced ability to bind FH, especially when grown for prolonged periods
in vitro. Recently isolated neuroinvasive B. garinii strains, however,
can express FH-binding proteins, which may contribute to the virulence
of neuroborreliosis-causing B. garinii strains.

.

Relevant Pages
Quantcast