Lack of Detectable Variation at Borrelia Burgdorferi VlsE Locus in Ticks

Overview

Journal J Med Entomol

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Biology

Date 2007 Feb 14

PMID 17294937

Citations 7

Authors

Leanna K Nosbisch

Aravinda M de Silva

Affiliations

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Abstract

VlsE is a surface exposed lipoprotein of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Spirochetes are able to generate many antigenic variants of VlsE by DNA recombination at the vlsE locus. Novel VlsE antigenic variants are readily observed in mice infected with B. burgdorferi. We followed a clonal population of spirochetes through a tick transmission cycle and report that unlike in vertebrates, the vlsE locus is stable in ticks.

Citing Articles

vls Antigenic Variation Systems of Lyme Disease Borrelia: Eluding Host Immunity through both Random, Segmental Gene Conversion and Framework Heterogeneity.

Norris S Microbiol Spectr. 2015; 2(6).

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Inactivation of genes for antigenic variation in the relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia hermsii reduces infectivity in mice and transmission by ticks.

Raffel S, Battisti J, Fischer R, Schwan T PLoS Pathog. 2014; 10(4):e1004056.

PMID: 24699793 PMC: 3974855. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004056.

Genetics of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Brisson D, Drecktrah D, Eggers C, Samuels D Annu Rev Genet. 2012; 46:515-36.

PMID: 22974303 PMC: 3856702. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-011112-112140.

Central role of the Holliday junction helicase RuvAB in vlsE recombination and infectivity of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Lin T, Gao L, Edmondson D, Jacobs M, Philipp M, Norris S PLoS Pathog. 2009; 5(12):e1000679.

PMID: 19997622 PMC: 2780311. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000679.

Reviewing molecular adaptations of Lyme borreliosis spirochetes in the context of reproductive fitness in natural transmission cycles.

Tsao J Vet Res. 2009; 40(2):36.

PMID: 19368764 PMC: 2701186. DOI: 10.1051/vetres/2009019.