Julia Cuellar1,2, Annukka Pietikäinen1,2, Otto Glader1, Heidi Liljenbäck3,4, Mirva Söderström5, Saija Hurme6, Jemiina Salo1, Jukka Hytönen1,7. 1. Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku. 2. Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku. 3. Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku. 4. Turku PET Centre, University of Turku. 5. Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital. 6. Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku. 7. Laboratory Division, Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes (Borrelia) causing Lyme borreliosis are able to disseminate from the initial entry site to distant organs in the host. Outer-surface adhesins are crucial in the bacterial dissemination and adhesion to various tissues. Two well-characterized Borrelia adhesins, decorin-binding proteins A and B, have been shown to bind to 2 host receptors, decorin and biglycan. However, the role of biglycan in Borrelia infection has not been characterized in vivo. METHODS: We infected biglycan knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) C3H mice with strains representing 3 Borrelia genospecies, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii. The infection was monitored by measuring joint swelling, Borrelia culture, polymerase chain reaction analysis, and serologic analysis. The host immune responses were analyzed by histological scoring of the inflammation in tissues and by cytokine profiling. RESULTS: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and B. garinii established long-term infection in mice of both genotypes, while B. afzelii failed to disseminate in KO mice. Further, the B. burgdorferi sensu stricto-infected KO mice had persistent inflammation in the joints. CONCLUSIONS: The dissemination and tissue colonization of Borrelia and the inflammatory response of the host differ in a mouse biglycan expression- and Borrelia genospecies-dependent manner.
BACKGROUND:Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes (Borrelia) causing Lyme borreliosis are able to disseminate from the initial entry site to distant organs in the host. Outer-surface adhesins are crucial in the bacterial dissemination and adhesion to various tissues. Two well-characterized Borrelia adhesins, decorin-binding proteins A and B, have been shown to bind to 2 host receptors, decorin and biglycan. However, the role of biglycan in Borrelia infection has not been characterized in vivo. METHODS: We infectedbiglycan knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) C3H mice with strains representing 3 Borrelia genospecies, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii. The infection was monitored by measuring joint swelling, Borrelia culture, polymerase chain reaction analysis, and serologic analysis. The host immune responses were analyzed by histological scoring of the inflammation in tissues and by cytokine profiling. RESULTS:B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and B. garinii established long-term infection in mice of both genotypes, while B. afzelii failed to disseminate in KO mice. Further, the B. burgdorferi sensu stricto-infected KO mice had persistent inflammation in the joints. CONCLUSIONS: The dissemination and tissue colonization of Borrelia and the inflammatory response of the host differ in a mousebiglycan expression- and Borrelia genospecies-dependent manner.
Authors: Mary Kay Ross; Cyrus Raji; Kristine L Lokken; Dale E Bredesen; Jared C Roach; Cory C Funk; Nathan Price; Noa Rappaport; Leroy Hood; James R Heath Journal: J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism Date: 2021-08-25
Authors: Gabriela Guédez; Tiina A Salminen; Jukka Hytönen; Julia Cuellar; Mia Åstrand; Heli Elovaara; Annukka Pietikäinen; Saija Sirén; Arto Liljeblad Journal: Infect Immun Date: 2020-03-23 Impact factor: 3.441