Evidence of Dbps (decorin binding proteins) among European strains of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and in the immune response of LB patient sera.
Decorin binding proteins DbpA and DbpB act as Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi) adhesins to decorin, and are able to elicit a persistent antibody response in the mouse; accordingly DbpA protein would seem to be promising in immunoprofilaxis of Lyme borreliosis (LB). This study examines the distribution of Dbp epitopes in European strains of B. burgdorferi, of different genospecies and the presence of antibodies to Dbps in human sera from patients suffering from early and late LB, as revealed by immunoblotting. Different levels of expression of Dbp epitopes were found both among and within genospecies; data from human sera indicate that Dbps are expressed during infection though not as strongly as in the mouse infection.
Cinco
M
M
Spirochete Laboratory, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università degli Studi, via Fleming 22,34127, Trieste, Italy. cinco@fc.univ.trieste.it
Ruscio
M
M
Rapagna
F
F
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C112557:DdpB protein, Borrelia burgdorferi; D000939:Epitopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins