Analysis of variable major protein antigenic variation in the relapsing fever spirochete, Borrelia miyamotoi, in response to polyclonal antibody selection pressure.

ABSTRACT: Borrelia miyamotoi is a tick-transmitted spirochete that is genetically grouped with relapsing fever Borrelia and possesses multiple archived pseudogenes that encode variable major proteins (Vmps). Vmps are divided into two groups based on molecular size; variable large proteins (Vlps) and variable small proteins (Vsps). Relapsing fever Borrelia undergo Vmp gene conversion at a single expression locus to generate new serotypes by antigenic switching which is the basis for immune evasion that causes relapsing fever in patients. This study focused on B. miyamotoi vmp expression when spirochetes were subjected to antibody killing selection pressure. We incubated a low passage parent strain with mouse anti-B. miyamotoi polyclonal antiserum which killed the majority population, however, antibod

SUBMITTER: Gilmore RD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9955969 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature