Genome-wide screen identifies novel genes required for Borrelia burgdorferi survival in its Ixodes tick vector.

ABSTRACT: Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease in humans, is maintained in a complex biphasic life cycle, which alternates between tick and vertebrate hosts. To successfully survive and complete its enzootic cycle, B. burgdorferi adapts to diverse hosts by regulating genes required for survival in specific environments. Here we describe the first ever use of transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) to identify genes required for B. burgdorferi survival in its tick host. We found that insertions into 46 genes resulted in a complete loss of recovery of mutants from larval Ixodes ticks. Insertions in an additional 56 genes resulted in a >90% decrease in fitness. The screen identified both previously known and new genes important for larval tick survival. Almost half of the genes re

SUBMITTER: Phelan JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6516651 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature