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Infect Immun, April 1998, p. 1408-1412, Vol. 66, No. 4
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Elastase Is the Only Human Neutrophil Granule Protein That Alone Is Responsible for In Vitro Killing of Borrelia burgdorferi

Rodolfo Garcia,1,* Laura Gusmani,2 Rossella Murgia,3 Corrado Guarnaccia,1 Marina Cinco,3 and Giandomenico Rottini2

International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 34012 Trieste,1 and Departments of Physiology-Pathology2 and Biomedical Sciences,3 University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy

Received 11 August 1997/Returned for modification 28 October 1997/Accepted 9 January 1998

Phagocytosis of Borrelia burgdorferi by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes triggers oxygen-dependent and -independent mechanisms of potentially cidal outcome. Nevertheless, no factor or process has yet been singled out as being borreliacidal. We have studied the B. burgdorferi-killing ability of the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-chloride system and that of primary and secondary granule components in an in vitro assay. We found that neither secondary granule acid extracts nor the chlorinating system could kill these microorganisms, while primary granule extracts were effective. The Borrelia-killing factor was purified to homogeneity and demonstrated to be elastase. Its cidal activity was found to be independent of its proteolytic activity.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Area di Ricerca, Padriciano 99, 34012 Trieste, Italy. Phone: 39-40-3757315 or 39-40-3757316. Fax: 39-40-226555. E-mail: garcia{at}icgeb.trieste.it.




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