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.
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.
McDowell
John V
JV
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0678, USA.
Hovis
Kelley M
KM
Zhang
Hongming
H
Tran
Emily
E
Lankford
Justin
J
Marconi
R T
RT
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
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