Differential binding of host complement inhibitor factor H by Borrelia burgdorferi Erp surface proteins: a possible mechanism underlying the expansive host range of Lyme disease spirochetes.
The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, is capable of infecting a wide variety of vertebrates. This broad host range implies that B. burgdorferi possesses the ability to contravene the immune defenses of many potential hosts. B. burgdorferi produces multiple different Erp proteins on its outer membrane during mammalian infection. It was reported previously that one Erp protein can bind human factor H (J. Hellwage, T. Meri, T. Heikkilä, A. Alitalo, J. Panelius, P. Lahdenne, I. J. T. Seppälä, and S. Meri, J. Biol. Chem. 276:8427-8435, 2001). In this paper we report that the ability to bind the complement inhibitor factor H is a general characteristic of Erp proteins. Furthermore, each Erp protein exhibits different relative affinities for the complement inhibitors of various potential animal hosts. The data suggest that the presence of multiple Erp proteins on the surface can allow a single B. burgdorferi bacterium to resist complement-mediated killing in any of the wide range of potential hosts that it might infect. Thus, Erp proteins likely contribute to the persistence of B. burgdorferi in nature and to the ability of this bacterium to cause Lyme disease in humans and other animals.
Stevenson
Brian
B
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0298, USA. bstev0@uky.edu
El-Hage
Nazira
N
Hines
Melissa A
MA
Miller
Jennifer C
JC
Babb
Kelly
K
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000378:metabolism*; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D017242:Complement Factor H / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D011485:Protein Binding; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C493495:CFH protein, human; D008074:Lipoproteins; C084998:OspE protein, Borrelia burgdorferi; D017242:Complement Factor H