title: The dbpBA locus of Borrelia burgdorferi is not essential for infection of mice.
abstract: The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi expresses a broad array of adhesive molecules, including the decorin-binding proteins A and B (DbpA and DbpB), which are believed to play important roles in mammalian infection. The dbpBA locus was deleted; resulting mutants were able to infect both immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice, indicating that neither DbpA nor DbpB is essential for the infection of mammals, although the DbpAB deficiency may significantly attenuate infectivity potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive at River Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
authors.forename: Yanlin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Qilong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Sunita V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Seemanapalli
authors.forename: Kristy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McShan
authors.forename: Fang Ting
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C112557:DdpB protein, Borrelia burgdorferi; D005819:Genetic Markers