Assessment of transcriptional activity of Borrelia burgdorferi and host cytokine genes during early and late infection in a mouse model.

ABSTRACT: Differential gene expression by Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes during mammalian infection facilitates their dissemination as well as immune evasion. Modulation of gene transcription in response to host immunity has been documented with the outer surface protein C, but the influence of transcription of other genes is largely unknown. A low-density array (LDA) was developed to study transcriptional activity of 43 B. burgdorferi genes and 19 host genes that may be involved in various host-agent interactions. Gene transcription in heart, joint, and muscle tissue was compared in immunocompetent C3H and immunodeficient C3H-scid mice during early (3 weeks) and late (2 months) B. burgdorferi infection. Among all tissue types, levels of relative transcription of over 80% of B. burgdorferi genes t

SUBMITTER: Hodzic E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3787468 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature