All Posts Tagged With: "borreliae"

Link: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20975954&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To elucidate whether CRASP-5 and
CRASP-3 interact with various human proteins, both borrelial
proteins were immobilized on magnetic beads. Following incubation
with human serum, bound proteins were eluted and separated by
Glycine-SDS-PAGE. In addition to CFH and CFHR1, complement
regulators CFHR2 and CFHR5 were identified as novel ligands for
both borrelial proteins by employing MALDI-TOF. To further assess
the contributions of CRASP-3 and CRASP-5 to complement
resistance, a serum-sensitive B. garinii strain G1 which lacks
all CFH-binding proteins was used as a valuable model for
functional analyses. Both CRASPs expressed on the B. garinii
outer surface bound CFH as well as CFHR1 and CFHR2 in ELISA. In
contrast, live B. garinii bound CFHR1, CFHR2, and CFHR5 and only
miniscute amounts of CFH as demonstrated by serum adsorption
assays and FACS analyses. Further functional analysis revealed
that upon NHS incubation, CRASP-3 or CRASP-5 expressing borreliae
were killed by complement. 
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In the absence of CFH and the presence
of CFHR1, CFHR2 and CFHR5, assembly and integration of the
membrane attack complex was not efficiently inhibited indicating
that CFH in co-operation with CFHR1,
CFHR2 and CFHR5 supports complement evasion of B. burgdorferi

Among the various species of hard ticks, Ixodes ricinus is the most frequently found tick throughout Europe. As with other ixodid ticks, the developmental cycle runs through three stages. In each stage a blood meal is required in order to develop to the next stage. Ixodes ricinus has been found to feed on more than 300 different vertebrate species. Usually, larval ticks feed on small mammals such as mice and become infected with various microorganisms and viruses, of which some are substantial pathogens to humans. The pathogens remain in the tick during molting and are thus transstadially transmitted to the next developmental stage. Pathogens transmitted to humans are the agents of Lyme borreliosis, the tick-borne encephalitis virus, Rickettsia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, occasionally Francisella tularensis, and protozoal Babesia species. Within the scope of an EU project Ixodes ricinus ticks from all federal states of Austria were searched by means of PCR methods for bacterial pathogens such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia spp., Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia spp., and protozoal Babesia. Additionally, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in this tick species was also determined. Besides the singular detection of Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis in one tick collection site the overall prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, borreliae, rickettsae and babesiae in Ixodes ricinus amounted to 15%, 14%, 6% and surprising 36% and 51%, respectively. Bartonellae were detected in about 7%. Continued