Phylogenomic Diversity Elucidates Mechanistic Insights into Lyme Borreliae-Host Association.

ABSTRACT: Host association-the selective adaptation of pathogens to specific host species-evolves through constant interactions between host and pathogens, leaving a lot yet to be discovered on immunological mechanisms and genomic determinants. The causative agents of Lyme disease (LD) are spirochete bacteria composed of multiple species of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, including B. burgdorferi (Bb), the main LD pathogen in North America-a useful model for the study of mechanisms underlying host-pathogen association. Host adaptation requires pathogens' ability to evade host immune responses, such as complement, the first-line innate immune defense mechanism. We tested the hypothesis that different host-adapted phenotypes among Bb strains are linked to polymorphic

SUBMITTER: Combs M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9426539 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature