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Borrelia burgdorferi needs chemotaxis to establish infection in mammals and to accomplish its enzootic cycle.

ABSTRACT: Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, can be recovered from different organs of infected animals and patients, indicating that the spirochete is very invasive. Motility and chemotaxis contribute to the invasiveness of B. burgdorferi and play important roles in the process of the disease. Recent reports have shown that motility is required for establishing infection in mammals. However, the role of chemotaxis in virulence remains elusive. Our previous studies showed that cheA?, a gene encoding a histidine kinase, is essential for the chemotaxis of B. burgdorferi. In this report, the cheA? gene was inactivated in a low-passage-number virulent strain of B. burgdorferi. In vitro analyses (microscopic observations, computer-based bacterial tracking analysis, swarm plate assays, and capillary tube assays) showed that the cheA? mutant failed to reverse and constantly ran in one direction; the mutant was nonchemotactic to attractants. Mouse needle infection studies showed that the cheA? mutant failed to infect either immunocompetent or immunodeficient mice and was quickly eliminated from the initial inoculation sites. Tick-mouse infection studies revealed that although the mutant was able to survive in ticks, it failed to establish a new infection in mice via tick bites. The altered phenotypes were completely restored when the mutant was complemented. Collectively, these data demonstrate that B. burgdorferi needs chemotaxis to establish mammalian infection and to accomplish its natural enzootic cycle.

SUBMITTER: Sze CW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3416460 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Borrelia burgdorferi needs chemotaxis to establish infection in mammals and to accomplish its enzootic cycle.

Sze Ching Wooen CW Zhang Kai K Kariu Toru T Pal Utpal U Li Chunhao C

Infection and immunity 20120416 7

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, can be recovered from different organs of infected animals and patients, indicating that the spirochete is very invasive. Motility and chemotaxis contribute to the invasiveness of B. burgdorferi and play important roles in the process of the disease. Recent reports have shown that motility is required for establishing infection in mammals. However, the role of chemotaxis in virulence remains elusive. Our previous studies showed that cheA ...[more]

PMID: 22508862

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Project description:Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and rickettsiae of the spotted fever group are zoonotic tick-borne pathogens. While small mammals are confirmed reservoirs for certain Borrelia spp., little is known about the reservoirs for tick-borne rickettsiae. Between 2012 and 2014, ticks were collected from the vegetation and small mammals which were trapped in Saxony, Germany. DNA extracted from ticks and the small mammals' skin was analyzed for the presence of Rickettsia spp. and B. burgdorferi (s.l.) by qPCR targeting the gltA and p41 genes, respectively. Partial sequencing of the rickettsial ompB gene and an MLST of B. burgdorferi (s.l.) were conducted for species determination.In total, 673 small mammals belonging to eight species (Apodemus agrarius, n?=?7; A. flavicollis, n?=?214; Microtus arvalis, n?=?8; Microtus agrestis, n?=?1; Mustela nivalis, n?=?2; Myodes glareolus, n?=?435; Sorex araneus, n?=?5; and Talpa europaea, n?=?1) were collected and examined. In total, 916 questing ticks belonging to three species (Ixodes ricinus, n?=?741; Dermacentor reticulatus, n?=?174; and I. trianguliceps, n?=?1) were collected. Of these, 474 ticks were further investigated. The prevalence for Rickettsia spp. and B. burgdorferi (s.l.) in the investigated small mammals was 25.3 and 31.2%, respectively. The chance of encountering Rickettsia spp. in M. glareolus was seven times higher for specimens infested with D. reticulatus than for those which were free of D. reticulatus (OR: 7.0; 95% CI: 3.3-14.7; P?<?0.001). In total, 11.4% of questing I. ricinus and 70.5% of D. reticulatus were positive for Rickettsia spp. DNA of B. burgdorferi (s.l.) was detected only in I. ricinus (5.5%). Sequence analysis revealed 9 R. helvetica, 5 R. raoultii, and 1 R. felis obtained from 15 small mammal samples.Small mammals may serve as reservoirs for Rickettsia spp. and B. burgdorferi (s.l.). While the prevalence for Rickettsia spp. in M. glareolus is most likely depending on the abundance of attached D. reticulatus, the prevalence for B. burgdorferi (s.l.) in small mammals is independent of tick abundance. Dermacentor reticulatus may be the main vector of certain Rickettsia spp. but not for Borrelia spp.

Dataset Information

Borrelia burgdorferi needs chemotaxis to establish infection in mammals and to accomplish its enzootic cycle.

Publications

Borrelia burgdorferi needs chemotaxis to establish infection in mammals and to accomplish its enzootic cycle.

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