title: Adaptation of Borrelia burgdorferi in the vector and vertebrate host.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Room 525A, Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8031, USA.
authors.forename: Utpal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fikrig
mesh_terms: 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*