Growth of infectious and non-infectious B. burgdorferi at different salt concentrations.
Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, grows in vitro in modified Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly (BSK-H) medium. We have studied the effect of increased osmotic strength of culture media on growth of infectious and non-infectious B. burgdorferi strains B31 and N40. Relatively small increases in the NaCl concentration of the medium significantly inhibited growth in infectious as well as non-infectious strains. Growth of low passage, infectious clone B31-4a was more sensitive to increased NaCl concentrations than high passage, non-infectious clone B31-a. Growth of two infectious N40 strains, one low passage (N40-Lp) and one high passage (N40-P31) was more resistant to increased NaCl concentration than growth of infectious B31-4a. Osmotic strength is an important physical parameter for growth of B. burgdorferi in vitro and could influence its ability to adapt and to establish an infection within ticks and mammals.
Laboratory of Microbial Structure and Function, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, USA. aelias@atlas.niaid.nih.gov
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Elias
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Tilly
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D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
D003470:Culture Media; D012965:Sodium Chloride