Evidence that the BBA68 protein (BbCRASP-1) of the Lyme disease spirochetes does not contribute to factor H-mediated immune evasion in humans and other animals

John V McDowell; Kelley M Hovis; Hongming Zhang; Emily Tran; Justin Lankford; R T Marconi

doi:10.1128/IAI.74.5.3030-3034.2006

Evidence that the BBA68 protein (BbCRASP-1) of the Lyme disease spirochetes does not contribute to factor H-mediated immune evasion in humans and other animals

Infect Immun. 2006 May;74(5):3030-4. doi: 10.1128/IAI.74.5.3030-3034.2006.

Authors

John V McDowell¹, Kelley M Hovis, Hongming Zhang, Emily Tran, Justin Lankford, R T Marconi

Affiliation

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0678, USA.

Abstract

BBA68 (BbCRASP-1) of the Lyme disease spirochetes binds human factor H (FH) and FH-like protein 1 (FHL-1). Here we assess transcription of the BBA68 gene and production of BBA68 in infected mice and humans using real-time reverse transcriptase PCR and immunoblotting. The species specificity of FH binding to BBA68 was also tested. The data suggest that BBA68 does not play an important role in immune evasion in animals.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Bacterial Proteins / genetics
Bacterial Proteins / physiology*
Complement C3b Inactivator Proteins
Complement Factor H / physiology*
Humans
Lyme Disease / immunology*
Membrane Proteins / genetics
Membrane Proteins / physiology*
Molecular Sequence Data
Sigma Factor / physiology
Species Specificity
Transcription, Genetic

Substances

Bacterial Proteins
CFHR1 protein, human
Complement C3b Inactivator Proteins
Membrane Proteins
Sigma Factor
complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins, Borrelia burgdorferi
sigma factor KatF protein, Bacteria
Complement Factor H