Open AccessAssessment of the potential contribution of the highly conserved C ‐terminal motif ( C 10) of B orrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein C in transmission and infectivity
Author(s) -
Earnhart Christopher G.,
Rhodes DeLacy V. L.,
Smith Alexis A.,
Yang Xiuli,
Tegels Brittney,
Carlyon Jason A.,
Pal Utpal,
Marconi Richard T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pathogens and disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.983
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2049-632X
DOI - 10.1111/2049-632x.12119
Subject(s) - infectivity , borrelia burgdorferi , biology , virology , borrelia , microbiology and biotechnology , conserved sequence , transmission (telecommunications) , peptide sequence , chemistry , genetics , virus , gene , antibody , electrical engineering , engineering
O sp C is produced by all species of the B orrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex and is required for infectivity in mammals. To test the hypothesis that the conserved C ‐terminal motif ( C 10) of O sp C is required for function in vivo , a mutant B . burgdorferi strain ( B 31:: osp C Δ C 10) was created in which osp C was replaced with an osp C gene lacking the C 10 motif. The ability of the mutant to infect mice was investigated using tick transmission and needle inoculation. Infectivity was assessed by cultivation, q RT ‐ PCR , and measurement of I g G antibody responses. B 31:: osp C Δ C 10 retained the ability to infect mice by both needle and tick challenge and was competent to survive in ticks after exposure to the blood meal. To determine whether recombinant O sp C protein lacking the C ‐terminal 10 amino acid residues (r O sp C Δ C 10) can bind plasminogen, the only known mammalian‐derived ligand for O sp C , binding analyses were performed. Deletion of the C 10 motif resulted in a statistically significant decrease in plasminogen binding. Although deletion of the C 10 motif influenced plasminogen binding, it can be concluded that the C 10 motif is not required for O sp C to carry out its critical in vivo functions in tick to mouse transmission.