title: Complement evasion by Borrelia burgdorferi: it takes three to tango.
abstract: The complement system is one of the major innate defense mechanisms Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato has to overcome to establish an infection of mammalian hosts and to cause Lyme borreliosis in humans. Borrelia prevents complement-mediated killing during host colonization through (i) recruitment of host complement regulators by Borrelia, (ii) evasion mechanisms by Borrelia itself, and (iii) exploitation of tick proteins by Borrelia. These interactions with complement can be host species-specific. This review provides an overview of interactions between Borrelia, tick, and host leading to evasion of complement-mediated killing.
authors.affiliation: Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: de Taeye
authors.forename: Lieselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kreuk
authors.forename: Alje P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: van Dam
authors.forename: Joppe W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hovius
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Schuijt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000276:immunology*; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000276:immunology; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D003165:Complement System Proteins