Endogenous Linear Plasmids lp28-4 and lp25 Are Required for Infectivity and Restriction Protection in the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia mayonii.

ABSTRACT: Borrelia mayonii is a newly recognized causative agent of Lyme disease in the Upper Midwestern United States, with distinct clinical presentations compared to classical Lyme disease caused by other Lyme Borrelia species. However, little is known about the B. mayonii genetic determinants required for establishing infection or perpetuating disease in mammals. Extrachromosomal plasmids in Borrelia species often encode proteins necessary for infection and pathogenesis, and spontaneous loss of these plasmids can lead to the identification of virulence determinant genes. Here, we describe infection of Lyme disease-susceptible C3H mice with B. mayonii, and show bacterial dissemination and persistence in peripheral tissues. Loss of endogenous plasmids, including lp28-4,

SUBMITTER: Casselli T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10016076 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature