Lyme disease is an NIAID/NIH Group 1 Priority Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease, and the most frequently reported arthropod-borne disease in the United States. Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete, can persistently infect humans for years. B. burgdorferi is often found in the connective tissues and associates with components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) such as fibronectin. Understanding the mechanisms behind borrellal adhesion to ECM components will permit the development of strategies to disrupt these interactions. Recently, we discovered that an antigenic outer surface lipoprotein, RevA, binds to fibronectin. We hypothesize that borrelial-ECM interactions, especially those mediated by fibronectin-binding proteins, are crucial for mammalian infection and persistence In the host. Studies are proposed to (1) Elucidate the mechanisms of RevA binding to fibronectin through site-directed mutagenesis of the RevA protein and analyses of specifically-bound fragments of fibronectin and (2) Characterize how RevA expression is regulated during the infection process, over time and in several tissues in the mouse model.

Public Health Relevance

The bacterium which causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, can infect humans and other animals for years. Proteins on the outer surface of Borrelia play important roles in establishing infection in animals. Appreciating how these proteins are made and how they interact with the host will be an important step towards understanding the ability of this pathogen to infect humans. Data obtained in these studies will direct development of improved tools for treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
1F32AI081480-01A1
Application #
7753382
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-F13-C (20))
Program Officer
Breen, Joseph J
Project Start
2009-09-16
Project End
2011-09-15
Budget Start
2009-09-16
Budget End
2010-09-15
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$51,710
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Kentucky
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
939017877
City
Lexington
State
KY
Country
United States
Zip Code
40506
Byram, Rebecca; Gaultney, Robert A; Floden, Angela M et al. (2015) Borrelia burgdorferi RevA Significantly Affects Pathogenicity and Host Response in the Mouse Model of Lyme Disease. Infect Immun 83:3675-83
Brissette, Catherine A; Rossmann, Evelyn; Bowman, Amy et al. (2010) The borrelial fibronectin-binding protein RevA is an early antigen of human Lyme disease. Clin Vaccine Immunol 17:274-80
Brissette, Catherine A; Bykowski, Tomasz; Cooley, Anne E et al. (2009) Borrelia burgdorferi RevA antigen binds host fibronectin. Infect Immun 77:2802-12
Verma, Ashutosh; Brissette, Catherine A; Bowman, Amy et al. (2009) Borrelia burgdorferi BmpA is a laminin-binding protein. Infect Immun 77:4940-6