This Article 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 Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fikrig, E. Articles by Flavell, R. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fikrig, E. Articles by Flavell, R. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect. Immun., 05 1995, 1658-1662, Vol 63, No. 5
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Selection of variant Borrelia burgdorferi isolates from mice immunized with outer surface protein A or B

E Fikrig, H Tao, SW Barthold and RA Flavell
Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8031, USA.

A nonclonal population of Borrelia burgdorferi N40 (passage 3) that survived protective immunity following challenge inoculation of outer surface protein (Osp) A- or B-hyperimmunized mice were characterized for the molecular basis of evasion of immunity. Two of six B. burgdorferi isolates, cultured from OspA-immunized mice, had antigenic diversity in the carboxyl terminus of OspA and did not bind to the protective OspA monoclonal antibody designated IXDII. However, OspA- immunized mice challenged with these variants were fully protected. Moreover, B. burgdorferi isolates with a point mutation in ospB, which results in a truncated OspB that does not bind to protective OspB monoclonal antibody 7E6C, were frequently enriched after infection of OspB-immunized mice. These studies suggest that the incomplete efficacy of an OspA- or OspB-based vaccine may be partly due to immunomediated in vivo selective pressure, resulting in the persistence of some spirochetes that do not bind to protective antibodies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Becker, M., Bunikis, J., Lade, B. D., Dunn, J. J., Barbour, A. G., Lawson, C. L. (2005). Structural Investigation of Borrelia burgdorferi OspB, a BactericidalFab Target. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 17363-17370 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Akin, E., McHugh, G. L., Flavell, R. A., Fikrig, E., Steere, A. C. (1999). The Immunoglobulin (IgG) Antibody Response to OspA and OspB Correlates with Severe and Prolonged Lyme Arthritis and the IgG Response to P35 Correlates with Mild and Brief Arthritis. Infect. Immun. 67: 173-181 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sole, M., Bantar, C., Indest, K., Gu, Y., Ramamoorthy, R., Coughlin, R., Philipp, M. T. (1998). Borrelia burgdorferi Escape Mutants That Survive in the Presence of Antiserum to the OspA Vaccine Are Killed When Complement Is Also Present. Infect. Immun. 66: 2540-2546 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hanson, M. S., Cassatt, D. R., Guo, B. P., Patel, N. K., McCarthy, M. P., Dorward, D. W., Hook, M. (1998). Active and Passive Immunity against Borrelia burgdorferi Decorin Binding Protein A (DbpA) Protects against Infection. Infect. Immun. 66: 2143-2153 [Abstract] [Full Text]