title: Lipid exchange between Borrelia burgdorferi and host cells.
abstract: Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, has cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids that are essential for bacterial fitness, are antigenic, and could be important in mediating interactions with cells of the eukaryotic host. We show that the spirochetes can acquire cholesterol from plasma membranes of epithelial cells. In addition, through fluorescent and confocal microscopy combined with biochemical approaches, we demonstrated that B. burgdorferi labeled with the fluorescent cholesterol analog BODIPY-cholesterol or (3)H-labeled cholesterol transfer both cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids to HeLa cells. The transfer occurs through two different mechanisms, by direct contact between the bacteria and eukaryotic cell and/or through release of outer membrane vesicles. Thus, two-way lipid exchange between spirochetes and host cells can occur. This lipid exchange could be an important process that contributes to the pathogenesis of Lyme disease.
authors: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
authors: Jameson T
authors: JT
authors: Crowley
authors: Alvaro M
authors: AM
authors: Toledo
authors: Timothy J
authors: TJ
authors: LaRocca
authors: James L
authors: JL
authors: Coleman
authors: Erwin
authors: E
authors: London
authors: Jorge L
authors: JL
authors: Benach
mesh_terms: D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: C095489:4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene; D001896:Boron Compounds; D006017:Glycolipids; D002784:Cholesterol