scholarly journals Borrelia burgdorferi basic membrane proteins A and B participate in the genesis of Lyme arthritis

2007 ◽  
Vol 205 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Utpal Pal ◽  
Penghua Wang ◽  
Fukai Bao ◽  
Xiuli Yang ◽  
Swapna Samanta ◽  
...  

Lyme arthritis results from colonization of joints by Borrelia burgdorferi and the ensuing host response. Using gene array–based differential analysis of B. burgdorferi gene expression and quantitative reverse trancription-polymerase chain reaction, we identified two paralogous spirochete genes, bmpA and bmpB, that are preferentially up-regulated in mouse joints compared with other organs. Transfer of affinity-purified antibodies against either BmpA or BmpB into B. burgdorferi–infected mice selectively reduced spirochete numbers and inflammation in the joints. B. burgdorferi lacking bmpA/B were therefore generated to further explore the role of these proteins in the pathogenesis of Lyme disease. B. burgdorferi lacking bmpA/B were infectious in mice, but unable to persist in the joints, and they failed to induce severe arthritis. Complementation of the mutant spirochetes with a wild-type copy of the bmpA and bmpB genes partially restored the original phenotype. These data delineate a role for differentially produced B. burgdorferi antigens in spirochete colonization of mouse joints, and suggest new strategies for the treatment of Lyme arthritis.

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (5) ◽  
pp. L1303-L1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan-Ze Wang ◽  
Cynthia L. Rosenberger ◽  
Teresa M. Espindola ◽  
Edward G. Barrett ◽  
Yohannes Tesfaigzi ◽  
...  

Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) is synthesized by nonciliated bronchiolar cells in the lung and modulates lung inflammation to infection. To determine the role of CCSP in the host response to allergic airway disease, CCSP-deficient [(−/−)] mice were immunized twice with ovalbumin (Ova) and challenged by Ova (2 or 5 mg/m3) aerosol. After 2, 3, and 5 days of Ova aerosol challenge (6 h/day), airway reactivity was increased in CCSP(−/−) mice compared with wild-type [CCSP(+/+)] mice. Neutrophils were markedly increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of CCSP(−/−) Ova mice, coinciding with increased myeloperoxidase activity and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 levels. Lung histopathology and inflammation were increased in CCSP(−/−) compared with wild-type mice after Ova challenge. Mucus production, as assessed by histological staining, was increased in the airway epithelium of CCSP(−/−) Ova mice compared with that in CCSP(+/+) Ova mice. These data suggest a role for CCSP in airway reactivity and the host response to allergic airway inflammation and provide further evidence for the role of the airway epithelium in regulating airway responses in allergic disease.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Downs ◽  
Sina Tavakoli ◽  
John D Short ◽  
Huynh N Nguyen ◽  
Reto Asmis

Overexpression of glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1) protects monocytes from metabolic stress-induced priming, i.e. dysregulation and hypersensitization to chemokines (Ullevig et al. ATVB 2012). To address the role of monocytic Grx1 in mice and in the development of atherogenesis and obesity, we transplanted bone marrow (BM) from either wild-type (WT) or Grx1 -/- donor mice into atherosclerosis-prone LDLR -/- mice and fed these mice a high-fat diet (HFD) for up to 20 weeks. Grx1 Leuko -/- mice showed accelerated weight gain after 9 weeks followed by early onset of hyperglycemia. After 6 weeks on HFD, atherosclerotic lesions were slightly larger in Grx1 Leuko -/- mice than in WT mice, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. However, after 20 weeks, Grx1 Leuko -/- mice showed 36% larger lesions than WT-BM recipients, and monocyte chemotaxis in vivo was increased 1.6-fold. Furthermore, compared to WT-BM recipients, adipose tissues and livers of Grx1 Leuko -/- mice also showed increased macrophage content and elevated tissue inflammation as determined by IHC and qRT-PCR-based gene array. Adipose tissue in particular, showed significant increases in the expression of proinflammatory genes in addition to an increased abundance of proinflammatory “crown-like” structures. In contrast, genes associated with inflammation resolving macrophages were significantly suppressed. Macrophages isolated from Grx1 -/- mice and stimulated with INFγ+TNFα also showed increased expression of pro-inflammatory M1-associated genes, whereas M2-associated genes were suppressed in Grx-1 -/- macrophages activated with IL-4. Furthermore, macrophages from Grx1 -/- mice exposed to metabolic stress also display increased protein S -glutathionylation, enhanced hypersensitization to chemokine, and impaired autophagy compared to macrophages from wild-type mice. Taken together, our data show that loss of monocytic Grx1 worsens monocyte priming in response to HFD-induced metabolic stress and accelerates the infiltration of dysfunctional monocyte-derived macrophages into tissues, such as aorta, liver and adipose tissues. We conclude that monocytic Grx1 is critical for maintaining metabolic homeostasis in mice and protects mice against obesity and atherogenesis.


2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 2643-2649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Heilpern ◽  
Warren Wertheim ◽  
Jia He ◽  
George Perides ◽  
Roderick T. Bronson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme arthritis, does not produce any exported proteases capable of degrading extracellular matrix despite the fact that it is able to disseminate from a skin insertion site to infect multiple organs. Prior studies have shown that B. burgdorferi induces the host protease, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and suggested that the induction of MMP-9 may allow the organism to disseminate and produce local tissue destruction. We examined the role of MMP-9 in dissemination of B. burgdorferi and pathogenesis of Lyme arthritis. In a MMP-9−/− mouse model, MMP-9 was not required for the dissemination of the spirochete to distant sites. However, MMP-9−/− exhibited significantly decreased arthritis compared to wild-type mice. The decrease in arthritis was not due to an inability to control infection since the spirochete numbers in the joints were identical. Levels of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines were also similar in MMP-9−/− and wild-type mice. We examined whether decreased inflammation in MMP-9−/− mice may be the result of decreased production of neoattractants by MMP-9-dependent cleavage of collagen. MMP-9 cleavage of type I collagen results in increased monocyte chemoattraction. MMP-9 plays an important role in regulating inflammation in Lyme arthritis, potentially through the cleavage of type I collagen.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 2882-2888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie E. Lasky ◽  
Kara E. Jamison ◽  
Darcie R. Sidelinger ◽  
Carmela L. Pratt ◽  
Guoquan Zhang ◽  
...  

Recently, a number of studies have reported the presence of interleukin 17 (IL-17) in patients with Lyme disease, and several murine studies have suggested a role for this cytokine in the development of Lyme arthritis. However, the role of IL-17 has not been studied using the experimental Lyme borreliosis model of infection of C3H mice withBorrelia burgdorferi. In the current study, we investigated the role of IL-17 in the development of experimental Lyme borreliosis by infecting C3H mice devoid of the common IL-17 receptor A subunit (IL-17RA) and thus deficient in most IL-17 signaling. Infection of both C3H and C3H IL-17RA−/−mice led to the production of high levels of IL-17 in the serum, low levels in the heart tissue, and no detectable IL-17 in the joint tissue. The development and severity of arthritis and carditis in the C3H IL-17RA−/−mice were similar to what was seen in wild-type C3H mice. In addition, development of antiborrelia antibodies and clearance of spirochetes from tissues were similar for the two mouse strains. These results demonstrate a limited role for IL-17 signaling through IL-17RA in the development of disease following infection of C3H mice withB. burgdorferi.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (21) ◽  
pp. 10467-10471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Payne ◽  
Caroline J. Heggie ◽  
David G. Brownstein ◽  
James P. Stewart ◽  
John P. Quinn

ABSTRACT Tachykinins function not only as neurotransmitters but also as immunological mediators. We used infection of tachykinin-deficient (PPT-A −/−) mice and wild-type controls with murine gammaherpesvirus to assess the role of tachykinins in the host response to a virus infection. Although infection was ultimately controlled in PPT-A −/− mice, there were higher titers of infectious virus in the lungs, accompanied by a more rapid influx of inflammatory cells. Clearance of latently infected cells from the spleen was also delayed. This is the first report of the direct influence of tachykinins in the host response to a virus infection.


2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 1372-1381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R. Potter ◽  
Susan R. Rittling ◽  
David T. Denhardt ◽  
Randall J. Roper ◽  
John H. Weis ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Several genetic loci in the mouse have been identified that regulate the severity of Lyme arthritis. The region of chromosome 5 including the osteopontin (OPN) gene (Opn) has been identified in intercross populations of C3H/HeN × C57BL/6 and C3H/HeJ × BALB/cAnN mice. OPN is of particular interest as it is involved in the maintenance and remodeling of tissue during inflammation, it regulates production of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-12 (cytokines implicated in Lyme arthritis), it is necessary for host control of certain bacterial infections, and mice displaying different severities of Lyme arthritis possess different alleles of the OPN gene. Macrophages and splenocytes from OPN-deficient mice on mixed C57BL/6J-129S or inbred 129S backgrounds were stimulated with the Pam3Cys modified lipoprotein from Borrelia burgdorferi, OspA. OPN was not required for OspA-induced cytokine production; however, macrophages from 129S-Opn−/− mice displayed a reduced level of IL-10 production. OPN was also not required for resistance to severe arthritis, as B. burgdorferi-infected 129S-Opn−/− mice developed mild arthritis, as did their wild-type littermates. Arthritis was more severe in OPN-deficient mice on the mixed C57BL/6J-129S backgrounds than in inbred mice of either strain. This increase was most likely due to a gene(s) closely linked to Opn on chromosome 5 in conjunction with other randomly assorting genes. Deficiency in OPN did not influence the numbers of spirochetes in tissues from B. burgdorferi-infected mice, indicating OPN is not part of the host defense to this pathogen. Interestingly, there was no alteration in the B. burgdorferi-specific antibody isotypes in OPN-deficient mice, indicating that its effect on helper T-cell responses is not relevant to the host response to B. burgdorferi.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaat Peeters ◽  
Maarten Ameye ◽  
Kristof Demeestere ◽  
Kris Audenaert ◽  
Monica Hofte

Abstract Sheath rot is an emerging rice disease that causes severe yield losses worldwide. The main causal agents are the toxin producers Sarocladium oryzae and Pseudomonas fuscovaginae. The fungus S. oryzae produces helvolic acid and cerulenin and the bacterium P. fuscovaginae produces cyclic lipopeptides. Helvolic acid and the lipopeptide, fuscopeptin, inhibit membrane-bound H+-ATPase pumps in the rice plant. To manage rice sheath rot, a better understanding of the host response and virulence strategies of the pathogens is required. This study investigated the interaction of the sheath rot pathogens with their host and the role of their toxins herein. Japonica rice was inoculated with high- and low-helvolic acid-producing S. oryzae isolates or with P. fuscovaginae wild type and fuscopeptin mutant strains. During infection, cerulenin, helvolic acid and the phytohormones abscisic acid, jasmonate, auxin and salicylic acid were quantified in the sheath. In addition, disease severity and grain yield parameters were assessed. Rice plants responded to high-toxin-producing S. oryzae and P. fuscovaginae strains with an increase in abscisic acid, jasmonate and auxin levels. We conclude that, for both pathogens, toxins play a core role during sheath rot infection. S. oryzae and P. fuscovaginae interact with their host in a similar way. This may explain why both sheath rot pathogens cause very similar symptoms despite their different nature.


1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 2065-2071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Brown ◽  
Steven L. Reiner

ABSTRACT Infection of inbred mouse strains with Borrelia burgdorferi results in the development of experimental Lyme arthritis. The degree of arthritic pathology has been suggested to correlate with the level of spirochete burden within tissues. To investigate this further, we infected resistant DBA/2 (DBA) and susceptible C3H/HeJ (C3H) mice in the hind footpads and monitored arthritis development for 21 days. To quantitate levels of spirochetes within tissues, we created a competitive PCR molecule containing modified ospA and fla gene segments. C3H mice developed severe arthritis of the tibiotarsal joints, while DBA mice developed only mild inflammation throughout the experimental period. At day 21, when the gross size and histologic composition of ankles revealed significant differences in arthritis between the strains, there was little difference in levels of spirochete DNA as determined by competitive PCR. Cultures of ankle tissue at day 21 were also uniformly positive in both C3H and DBA animals and contained relatively similar levels of spirochetes. These results indicate that the presence of spirochetes in the ankles of experimental animals is not sufficient for arthritis development. Since arthritic and nonarthritic animals can harbor relatively equal spirochete burdens yet retain their distinct phenotypic outcomes, an aberrant or overly exuberant immune response may be an additional requirement for pathology in arthritis-prone mice.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 2075-2082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Lorenz ◽  
Diana C. Chemotti ◽  
Alice L. Jiang ◽  
Letitia D. McDougal

ABSTRACT We used a mouse model of acute respiratory infections to investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 in the host response to Haemophilus influenzae. Acute aerosol exposures to wild-type strains of H. influenzae showed that TLR4 function was essential for TNF-α induction, neutrophil influx, and bacterial clearance. To determine how lipooligosaccharide (LOS) modifications would affect the role of TLR4 in inducing the host response, we used acute infections with an H. influenzae strain expressing a mutation in the htrB gene. This mutant strain expresses an LOS subunit with decreased acylation. In response to H. influenzae htrB infection, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion remained TLR4 dependent. But the decrease in LOS acylation made the neutrophil influx and the bacterial clearance also dependent on TLR2, as shown by the decreased host response elicited in TLR2 knockout mice compared to C57BL/6 mice. A subsequent analysis of TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression by quantitative PCR indicated that TLR4 function induces TLR2 expression and vice versa. These results indicate that some changes in the LOS subunit of H. influenzae can favor signaling through non-TLR4 receptors, such as TLR2. The results also indicate a close interaction between TLR4 and TLR2 that tightly regulates the expression of both receptors.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (9) ◽  
pp. 3675-3683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Byram ◽  
Robert A. Gaultney ◽  
Angela M. Floden ◽  
Christopher Hellekson ◽  
Brandee L. Stone ◽  
...  

The Lyme disease spirochete,Borrelia burgdorferi, expresses RevA and numerous outer surface lipoproteins during mammalian infection. As an adhesin that promotes bacterial interaction with fibronectin, RevA is poised to interact with the extracellular matrix of the host. To further define the role(s) of RevA during mammalian infection, we created a mutant that is unable to produce RevA. The mutant was still infectious to mice, although it was significantly less well able to infect cardiac tissues. Complementation of the mutant with a wild-typerevAgene restored heart infectivity to wild-type levels. Additionally,revAmutants led to increased evidence of arthritis, with increased fibrotic collagen deposition in tibiotarsal joints. The mutants also induced increased levels of the chemokine CCL2, a monocyte chemoattractant, in serum, and this increase was abolished in the complemented strain. Therefore, whilerevAis not absolutely essential for infection, deletion ofrevAhad distinct effects on dissemination, arthritis severity, and host response.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document