Adaptation of Borrelia burgdorferi in the vector and vertebrate host.
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is the causative agent of Lyme disease, which afflicts both humans and some domestic animals. B. burgdorferi, a highly evolved extracellular pathogen, uses several strategies to survive in a complex enzootic cycle involving a diverse range of hosts. This review focuses on the unique adaptive features of B. burgdorferi, which are central to establishing a successful spirochetal infection within arthropod and vertebrate hosts. We also discuss the regulatory mechanisms linked with the development of molecular adaptation of spirochetes within different host environments.
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Utpal
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Room 525A, Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8031, USA.
Fikrig
Erol
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D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000635:transmission*; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000382:microbiology*