title: Borrelia burgdorferi adherence and injury to undifferentiated and differentiated neural cells in vitro.
abstract: The role of outer surface proteins (Osp) A and B and length of time in culture on the adhesion and cytotoxicity of Borrelia burgdorferi to C6 glioma and PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells was investigated using 6 different spirochete strains in an ELISA. Statistically significant differences in adhesion between OspB mutants and parental isolates were not seen, yet clear differences in adhesion were noted between low- and high-passage isolates. Polar adhesion and penetration by the tips of spirochetes resulted in the formation of surface cavities and blebs. Adhesion of spirochetes to C6 and to undifferentiated PC-12 cells did not result in significant cytotoxicity, but adhesion of spirochetes to PC-12 cells differentiated with nerve growth factor resulted in a loss of confluence of the monolayer and cytotoxicity at high spirochete-to-cell ratios. These results demonstrate that B. burgdorferi can induce damage to neural cells directly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Basic Health Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Benach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005910:Glioma; D008074:Lipoproteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000382:microbiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D008074:Lipoproteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C072045:OspA protein; C077030:OspB protein, Borrelia burgdorferi