Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Matthew Pine, Gunjan Arora, Thomas M. Hart, Emily Bettini, Brian T. Gaudette, Hiromi Muramatsu, Istvan Tombacz, Taku Kambayashi, Ying K. Tam, Dustin Brisson, David Allman, Michela Locci, Drew Weissman, Erol Fikrig, Norbert Pardi
Summary: This study proposes the development of a Lyme disease vaccine using the mRNA-LNP platform, which induces stronger immune responses and provides protection against bacterial infection compared to traditional protein subunit vaccines.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Paulina Bierwagen, Joanna Sliwiak, Mariusz Jaskolski, Anna Urbanowicz
Summary: Ticks of the genus Ixodes are parasites that feed on vertebrate blood and act as vectors for various pathogenic microbes, including the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis. The saliva of these ticks contains bioactive molecules, with the Salp15 protein being a well-studied component that suppresses the host immune response and interacts with Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes. Recent research has shown that in addition to Salp15, other homologues from Ixodes ricinus are also capable of binding to the outer surface protein C (OspC) of Borrelia burgdorferi, potentially aiding in evading the host immune system.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mehrnaz Nouri, Neus Latorre-Margalef, Agnieszka Czopek, Lars Raberg
Summary: The study found that different mouse strains have varying levels of antibody cross-reactivity to different OspC types, with C3H strain showing higher levels. There was evidence for asymmetry in crossreactivity, with antibodies to OspC2 showing stronger cross-reactivity with OspC9 than vice versa, which may impact the coexistence of OspC types.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Priyanka G. Mukherjee, Dionysios Liveris, Klara Hanincova, Radha Iyer, Gary P. Wormser, Weihua Huang, Ira Schwartz
Summary: Lyme disease in the United States is mainly caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. After a tick bite, patients may develop erythema migrans. If dissemination occurs, neurologic manifestations, carditis, or arthritis may follow. OspC, a surface protein, is essential in early infection, but it is not the sole determinant of dissemination.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Michelle J. Klouwens, Jos J. A. Trentelman, Alex Wagemakers, Jasmin Ersoz, Adriaan D. Bins, Joppe W. Hovius
Summary: DNA tattoo vaccination with OspC induced high specific IgG titers and provided near-total protection against B. burgdorferi ss infection by tick challenge. In contrast, DNA tattoo vaccines against tick proteins TSLPI, Salp15, tHRF, and Tix-5 induced low to moderate IgG titers and did not provide protection. Therefore, DNA tattoo vaccination is not a suitable strategy to identify or screen tick antigens for anti-tick vaccines, but it is an effective platform to assess novel B. burgdorferi sl antigen candidates in relevant tick challenge models.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Tatiana N. N. Castro-Padovani, Timothy C. C. Saylor, Olivia T. T. Husted, Andrew C. C. Krusenstjerna, Nerina Jusufovic, Brian Stevenson
Summary: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato requires the OspC protein to infect humans and other vertebrate hosts. Bacteria that do not produce OspC or fail to downregulate OspC after infection are rapidly cleared. OspC is essential for the initial phase of vertebrate infection by Lyme disease spirochetes.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Foekje F. Stelma, Anneleen Berende, Hadewych Ter Hofstede, Hedwig D. Vrijmoeth, Fidel Vos, Bart-Jan Kullberg
Summary: This paper presents a study aimed at determining whether serology can differentiate between patients with persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme and other patients with Lyme borreliosis. The study results show that serological testing is unable to define the subgroup of patients with persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme borreliosis.
Article
Ecology
Lars Raberg, Dagmar Clough, Asa Hagstrom, Kristin Scherman, Martin Andersson, Anna Drews, Maria Strandh, Barbara Tschirren, Helena Westerdahl
Summary: In this study, it was found that MHC alleles (DQB*37) affect the susceptibility and resistance of bank voles to different strains of the tick-transmitted bacterium. Furthermore, the MHC alleles also influence the diversity of the infecting strains.
Article
Microbiology
Mateusz Markowicz, Michael Reiter, Jutta Gamper, Gerold Stanek, Hannes Stockinger
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the etiology of persistent IgM antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) and their association with nonspecific symptoms. It was found that the persistence of IgM antibodies were specific for the C-terminal PKKP motif of OspC, although cross-reactivity with other eukaryotic and/or prokaryotic antigens may affect the specificity of OspC in the serological diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Additionally, lack of improvement in nonspecific symptoms was associated with higher IgM ELISA values.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lia Di, Saymon Akther, Edgaras Bezrucenkovas, Larisa Ivanova, Brian Sulkow, Bing Wu, Saad Mneimneh, Maria Gomes-Solecki, Wei-Gang Qiu
Summary: Natural populations of pathogens and their hosts are engaged in an arms race, posing challenges to vaccine and diagnostic development. Using evolutionary and centroid algorithms, synthetic antigens with promising reactivity against diverse pathogen strains have been generated. The Maximum Antigen Diversification (MAD) model offers a novel approach to combating pathogen diversity.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Aine Lehane, Sarah E. Maes, Christine B. Graham, Emma Jones, Mark Delorey, Rebecca J. Eisen
Summary: The geographic distributions of medically important ticks and tick-borne pathogens in the United States are expanding, leading to an increase in the burden of tick-borne diseases and a growing risk of coinfections. The study found that Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. was the most prevalent and widespread pathogen, and co-infections with this pathogen and others were most common in the Northeast region.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Hannah M. Rowe, Jason W. Rosch
Summary: Pathogen transmission is a crucial event in disease pathogenesis, driven by factors intrinsic to the host and pathogen. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of interactions between the pathogen and commensal microbiota of the host and coinfecting pathogens in influencing transmission efficiency. Collaboration and competition with other microbes during transmission can inform new preventative and therapeutic strategies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jenny Wachter, Britney Cheff, Chad Hillman, Valentina Carracoi, David W. Dorward, Craig Martens, Kent Barbian, Glenn Nardone, L. Renee Olano, Margie Kinnersley, Patrick R. Secor, Patricia A. Rosa
Summary: The alternative sigma factor RpoS plays a crucial role in the critical host-adaptive response of Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete. This study characterises the negative regulator bbd18 of RpoS and demonstrates its essential nature for the viability of wild-type spirochetes in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptomic analyses reveal that BBD18 depletion leads to global induction of RpoS-dependent genes, which can be circumvented by deletion of rpoS.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Fuad Alanazi, Sajith Raghunandanan, Raj Priya, X. Frank Yang
Summary: This study identified the crucial role of the Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathway in blood-brain barrier transmigration and invasion of the central nervous system by Borrelia burgdorferi. The major surface lipoprotein OspC was found to be a significant contributor to blood-brain barrier transmigration. Other major surface lipoproteins controlled by this pathway, DbpA/B and BBK32, were less important for blood-brain barrier transmigration. The surface lipoprotein OspA and the Rrp1 pathway, required for B. burgdorferi colonization in the tick vector, were not necessary for blood-brain barrier transmigration.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Maria E. Hasing, Xiaoli L. Pang, Curtis Mabilangan, Jutta K. Preiksaitis
Summary: The study found that multiple CMV strain transmission from donors to seronegative solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients is not uncommon, with multiple strains identified in some recipients. Therefore, D+/R- SOT recipients with CMV coinfection can experience changes in strain predominance in late waves of CMV DNAemia.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julia C. Buck, Jessica Hua, William R. Brogan, Trang D. Dang, Jenny Urbina, Randall J. Bendis, Aaron B. Stoler, Andrew R. Blaustein, Rick A. Relyea
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Devin K. Jones, Trang D. Dang, Jenny Urbina, Randall J. Bendis, Julia C. Buck, Rickey D. Cothran, Andrew R. Blaustein, Rick A. Relyea
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Ecology
Susan M. Withenshaw, Godefroy Devevey, Amy B. Pedersen, Andy Fenton
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Parasitology
Melanie Clerc, Godefroy Devevey, Andy Fenton, Amy B. Pedersen
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Godefroy Devevey, Michel Chapuisat, Philippe Christe
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2009)
Article
Ecology
Godefroy Devevey, Pierre Bize, Sara Fournier, Emilie Person, Philippe Christe
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2010)
Article
Parasitology
Andreas Sanchez, Godefroy Devevey, Pierre Bize
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2011)
Article
Ornithology
Godefroy Devevey, Nadia Bruyndonckx, Friederike von Houwald, Adelheid Studer-Thiersch, Philippe Christe
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2010)
Article
Ecology
Pierre Bize, Sophie Cotting, Godefroy Devevey, Juan van Rooyen, Fabrice Lalubin, Olivier Glaizot, Philippe Christe
Article
Parasitology
G. Devevey, P. Christe
Article
Parasitology
G. Devevey, D. Brisson
Article
Biology
Philippe Christe, Olivier Glaizot, Nicole Strepparava, Godefroy Devevey, Luca Fumagalli
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2012)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Maarten J. Voordouw, Haley Tupper, Oezlem Oender, Godefroy Devevey, Christopher J. Graves, Brian D. Kemps, Dustin Brisson
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2013)