Borrelia burgdorferiChanges Its Surface Antigenic Expression in Response to Host Immune Responses

• DOI: 10.1128/iai.72.10.5759-5767.2004
• Publication Date: 2004-09-22T23:52:55Z
• Authors: Fang Ting Liang; Jun Yan; M. Lamine Mbow; Steven L. Sviat; Robert D. Gilmore; Mark Mamula; Erol Fikrig
• Keywords: Antigenic variation

The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, causes persistent mammalian infection despite the development of vigorous immune responses against pathogen. To examine spirochetal phenotypes that dominate in hostile environment, mRNA transcripts four prototypic surface lipoproteins, decorin-binding protein A (DbpA), outer C (OspC), BBF01, and VlsE, were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR under various conditions. We demonstrate B. burgdorferi changes its antigenic expression response to attack. dbpA was unchanged while spirochetes decreased ospC 446 times increased BBF01 vlsE up 20 32 times, respectively, influence pressure generated immunocompetent mice during infection. This change could be induced passively immunizing infected severe combined immunodeficiency with specific antisera or OspC antibody appears allow resist