Bgp, a Secreted Glycosaminoglycan-Binding Protein of Borrelia burgdorferi Strain N40, Displays Nucleosidase Activity and Is Not Essential for Infection of Immunodeficient Mice

• DOI: 10.1128/iai.74.5.3016-3020.2006
• Publication Date: 2006-04-18T22:15:01Z
• Authors: Nikhat Parveen; Kenneth A. Cornell; James L. Bono; Christen Chamberland; Patricia Rosa; John M. Leong
• Keywords: Lyme Disease; Mice, Inbred C3H; 0303 health sciences; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Mice, SCID; 3. Good health; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Bacterial Proteins; Borrelia burgdorferi; Animals; Carrier Proteins; N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; Plasmids

ABSTRACT

Bgp, one of the surface-localized glycosaminoglycan-binding proteins of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi , exhibited nucleosidase activity. Infection of SCID mice with B. burgdorferi strain N40 mutants harboring a targeted insertion in bgp and apparently retaining all endogenous plasmids revealed that Bgp is not essential for colonization of immunocompromised mice.