title: Flow-Tolerant Adhesion of a Bacterial Pathogen to Human Endothelial Cells Through Interaction With Biglycan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial pathogens causing systemic infections disseminate from the initial infection focus to the target organs usually through the blood vasculature. To be able to colonize various organs, bacteria need to adhere to the endothelial cells of the vascular wall, and the adhesion must be strong enough to resist the shear force of the blood flow.Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes, the causative agents of the tick-borne disease Lyme borreliosis, disseminate hematogenously from the tick bite site to the joints, the heart, and the central nervous system of the patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used both wild-type and genetically modified B. burgdorferi s. l. bacteria, recombinant borrelia adhesins, and an array of adhesion assays carried out both under stationary and flow conditions to investigate the molecular mechanisms of borrelial adhesion to human endothelial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Borrelia garinii, a member of the B. burgdorferi s. l. complex, adhered to biglycan expressed by human endothelial cells in a flow-tolerant manner. The adhesion was mediated by the decorin-binding protein A (DbpA) and DbpB surface molecules of B. garinii.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proteoglycan biglycan is a receptor molecule for flow-resistant adhesion of the bacterial pathogen B. garinii on human endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Turku Doctoral Program for Molecular Medicine.
authors.forename: Jemiina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Turku Doctoral Program for Molecular Medicine.
authors.forename: Annukka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pietikäinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Mirva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderström
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Kaisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Auvinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salmi
authors.affiliation: Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Rhodaba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ebady
authors.affiliation: Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Tara J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Moriarty
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.
authors.forename: Matti K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Viljanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hytönen
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058578:Biglycan / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058575:Decorin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D058578:Biglycan; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C112557:DdpB protein, Borrelia burgdorferi; D058575:Decorin
keywords: DbpA; DbpB; HUVEC; adhesion; biglycan; borrelia