title: Evidence that the BBA68 protein (BbCRASP-1) of the Lyme disease spirochetes does not contribute to factor H-mediated immune evasion in humans and other animals.
abstract: BBA68 (BbCRASP-1) of the Lyme disease spirochetes binds human factor H (FH) and FH-like protein 1 (FHL-1). Here we assess transcription of the BBA68 gene and production of BBA68 in infected mice and humans using real-time reverse transcriptase PCR and immunoblotting. The species specificity of FH binding to BBA68 was also tested. The data suggest that BBA68 does not play an important role in immune evasion in animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0678, USA.
authors.forename: John V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: McDowell
authors.forename: Kelley M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hovis
authors.forename: Hongming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lankford
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Marconi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003180:Complement C3b Inactivator Proteins; D017242:Complement Factor H / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C517621:CFHR1 protein, human; D003180:Complement C3b Inactivator Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; C440651:complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins, Borrelia burgdorferi; C069567:sigma factor KatF protein, Bacteria; D017242:Complement Factor H