This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hodzic, E. Articles by Barthold, S. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hodzic, E. Articles by Barthold, S. W.

Immunoglobulin-Regulated Expression of Borrelia burgdorferi Outer Surface Protein A In Vivo

Center for Comparative Medicine, Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616

Received 2 November 2004/ Returned for modification 22 December 2004/ Accepted 14 January 2005

Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, down-regulates outer surface protein A (OspA), which is abundantly expressed in ticks, during infection of the mammalian host. In this study we examined the signals that may be responsible for maintaining the OspA-negative state of spirochetes during infection. Transcription of ospA mRNA was found in tissues of C3H-severe combined immunodeficient (C3H-scid) mice, but not immunocompetent C3H mice, inoculated with cultured B. burgdorferi, tick-borne spirochetes, and host-adapted spirochetes. Transcription was more frequent at 4 weeks than at 1 week. Transcription was present at the host-tick interface as early as 24 h after tick attachment but declined at 48 and 72 h. Thus, ospA mRNA transcription in distant tissues and at later times in C3H-scid mice is probably due to up-regulation during infection. Adoptive lymphocyte transfer from naïve C3H mice to infected C3H-scid mice resulted in OspA seroconversion, confirming OspA expression in the host. Passive transfer of normal mouse serum, immunoglobulin M (IgM) from normal mouse serum, or IgG from normal mouse serum into infected C3H-scid mice resulted in down-regulation of ospA, but transfer of normal mouse serum depleted of immunoglobulin did not influence ospA mRNA transcription. Collectively, our results indicate that ospA mRNA transcription in the host is regulated by nonspecific immunoglobulin, which may be a natural antibody.

Editor: J. T. Barbieri

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Strother, K. O., Hodzic, E., Barthold, S. W., de Silva, A. M. (2007). Infection of Mice with Lyme Disease Spirochetes Constitutively Producing Outer Surface Proteins A and B. Infect. Immun. 75: 2786-2794 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Barthold, S. W., Hodzic, E., Tunev, S., Feng, S. (2006). Antibody-mediated disease remission in the mouse model of lyme borreliosis.. Infect. Immun. 74: 4817-4825 [Abstract] [Full Text]