DksA-dependent regulation of RpoS contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi tick-borne transmission and mammalian infectivity.

ABSTRACT: Throughout its enzootic cycle, the Lyme disease spirochete Borreliella (Borrelia) burgdorferi, senses and responds to changes in its environment using a small repertoire of transcription factors that coordinate the expression of genes required for infection of Ixodes ticks and various mammalian hosts. Among these transcription factors, the DnaK suppressor protein (DksA) plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression in B. burgdorferi during periods of nutrient limitation and is required for mammalian infectivity. In many pathogenic bacteria, the gene regulatory activity of DksA, along with the alarmone guanosine penta- and tetra-phosphate ((p)ppGpp), coordinate the stringent response to various environmental stresses, including nutrient limitation. In this study, we sought to character

SUBMITTER: Boyle WK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7924775 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature