Relapsing fever Borrelia binds to neolacto glycans and mediates rosetting of human erythrocytes.
A hallmark of acute relapsing fever borreliosis is severe bacteremia. Some Borrelia species, such as B. duttonii and B. crocidurae, associate with erythrocytes and induce aggregation recognized as erythrocyte rosetting. Erythrocyte rosettes contribute to disease severity by increased tissue invasiveness (such as invasion of CNS and encephalitis), hemorrhaging, and reduced blood flow in affected microcapillaries. Here we report that relapsing fever Borrelia binds to neolacto (Galbeta4GlcNAcbeta3Galbeta4Glcbeta1)-carrying glycoconjugates that are present on human erythrocytes. This interaction is of low affinity but is compensated for by the multivalency of neo-lacto-oligosaccharides on the erythrocyte cell surface. Hence, the protein-carbohydrate interaction is dependent on multivalent neolacto-glycans to mediate binding.
Guo
Betty P
BP
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Umeå, Umeå, Sweden.
Teneberg
Susann
S
Münch
Robert
R
Terunuma
Daiyo
D
Hatano
Ken
K
Matsuoka
Koji
K
Angström
Jonas
J
Borén
Thomas
T
Bergström
Sven
S
D001898:Borrelia / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005915:Globosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D012061:Relapsing Fever / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012397:Rosette Formation / Q000379:methods
D000939:Epitopes; D005915:Globosides; D011134:Polysaccharides; C036363:paragloboside