title: BpaB and EbfC DNA-binding proteins regulate production of the Lyme disease spirochete's infection-associated Erp surface proteins.
abstract: Vector-borne pathogens regulate their protein expression profiles, producing factors during host infection that differ from those produced during vector colonization. The Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, produces Erp surface proteins throughout mammalian infection and represses their synthesis during colonization of vector ticks. Known functions of Erp proteins include binding of host laminin, plasmin(ogen), and regulators of complement activation. A DNA region immediately 5' of erp operons, the erp operator, is required for transcriptional regulation. The B. burgdorferi BpaB and EbfC proteins exhibit high in vitro affinities for erp operator DNA. In the present studies, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) demonstrated that both proteins bind erp operator DNA in vivo. Additionally, a combination of in vivo and in vitro methods demonstrated that BpaB functions as a repressor of erp transcription, while EbfC functions as an antirepressor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Jutras
authors.forename: Ashutosh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Claire A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Brissette
authors.forename: Logan H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Christine R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Whetstine
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Alicia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chenail
authors.forename: Wolfram R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Zückert
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D003167:Complement Activation; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000378:metabolism; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009875:Operator Regions, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007797:Laminin; D008074:Lipoproteins; C084998:OspE protein, Borrelia burgdorferi; D005341:Fibrinolysin