Outer surface protein E (OspE) mediates Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto strain-specific complement evasion in the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 101522599 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1877-9603 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1877959X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Ticks Tick Borne Dis Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier, 2010-
    • Subject Terms:
      Borrelia burgdorferi*/immunology ; Lizards*/blood ; Lizards*/immunology ; Lizards*/microbiology ; Antigens, Bacterial*/blood ; Antigens, Bacterial*/immunology ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins*/blood ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins*/immunology ; Lipoproteins*/blood ; Lipoproteins*/immunology ; Immune Evasion* ; Complement System Proteins*/immunology ; Lyme Disease*/blood ; Lyme Disease*/immunology ; Lyme Disease*/microbiology ; Lyme Disease*/virology; Animals ; North America
    • Abstract:
      In North America, Lyme disease is primarily caused by the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bb), which is transmitted between multiple vertebrate hosts and ixodid ticks, and is a model commonly used to study host-pathogen interactions. While Bb is consistently observed in its mammalian and avian reservoirs, the bacterium is rarely isolated from North American reptiles. Two closely related lizard species, the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) and the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), are examples of reptiles parasitized by Ixodes ticks. Vertebrates are known to generate complement as an innate defense mechanism, which can be activated before Bb disseminate to distal tissues. Complement from western fence lizards has proven lethal against one Bb strain, implying the role of complement in making those lizards unable to serve as hosts to Bb. However, Bb DNA is occasionally identified in distal tissues of field-collected eastern fence lizards, suggesting some Bb strains may overcome complement-mediated clearance in these lizards. These findings raise questions regarding the role of complement and its impact on Bb interactions with North American lizards. In this study, we found Bb seropositivity in a small population of wild-caught eastern fence lizards and observed Bb strain-specific survivability in lizard sera. We also found that a Bb outer surface protein, OspE, from Bb strains viable in sera, promotes lizard serum survivability and binds to a complement inhibitor, factor H, from eastern fence lizards. Our data thus identify bacterial and host determinants of eastern fence lizard complement evasion, providing insights into the role of complement influencing Bb interactions with North American lizards.
      Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
      (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Complement; Eastern fence lizard; Lyme disease; OspE, Borrelia; Spirochetes
    • Accession Number:
      0 (OspE protein, Borrelia burgdorferi)
      0 (Antigens, Bacterial)
      0 (Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins)
      0 (Lipoproteins)
      9007-36-7 (Complement System Proteins)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20221120 Date Completed: 20221220 Latest Revision: 20230130
    • Publication Date:
      20231215
    • Accession Number:
      10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102081
    • Accession Number:
      36403322