title: Biological activities of native and recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein A: dependence on lipid modification.
abstract: Borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteins are 50- to 500-fold more active as cytokine inducers and B-cell mitogens than Escherichia coli lipoproteins and synthetic peptides containing the tripalmitoyl-S-glyceryl-cysteine moiety. To investigate the source of this unique potency, we compared native OspA from B. burgdorferi with recombinant lipidated OspA produced in E. coli. As little as 10 ng of either protein per ml stimulated B-cell proliferation and production of cytokines and nitric oxide by macrophages. The two proteins induced comparable antibody responses in mice. Nonlipidated OspA made in E. coli had no stimulatory activity. Thus, lipid modification is essential both in vivo and in vitro for the immunological properties of OspA. The lipid moiety appears equally active whether produced in B. burgdorferi or in E. coli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Erdile
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008055:Lipids / Q000276:immunology*; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; C072045:OspA protein; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide