POSTERS - BLAST X - University of Utah
POSTERS - BLAST X - University of Utah
POSTERS - BLAST X - University of Utah
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<strong>BLAST</strong> X Thurs. Morning Session<br />
MOTILITY, CHEMOTAXIS AND VIRULENCE OF BORRELIA BURGDORFERI, THE LYME<br />
DISEASE SPIROCHETE<br />
M. A. Motaleb 1 , P. Stewart 2 . A. Bestor 2 , P. Rosa 2 and N. Charon 3<br />
1 Dept <strong>of</strong> Microbiology & Immunology, East Carolina <strong>University</strong>, Greenville, NC<br />
2 Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, NIH, RML, Hamilton, MT<br />
3 Dept <strong>of</strong> Microbiology, Immunology & cell Biology, West Virginia <strong>University</strong>, Morgantown, WV<br />
Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent <strong>of</strong> Lyme disease. It is the most prevalent<br />
arthropod borne infection in the United States with 27,444 reported cases on 2007. The<br />
disease is a multiple-systemic disorder with various clinical manifestations including erythema<br />
migrans rash, arthritis, cardiac, musculoskeletal and neurological manifestations.<br />
B. burgdorferi exists in nature in an enzootic cycle. Ixodes scapularis ticks (commonly<br />
known as deer ticks) acquire the infection when they feed on an infected host, mainly rodents.<br />
During subsequent tick feeding, which lasts for several days, B. burgdorferi migrate from the tick<br />
midgut, pass through the salivary glands, and are then transmitted to the mammal through the<br />
saliva. B. burgdorferi is highly invasive. After being deposited in the skin following a tick bite, the<br />
spirochetes can invade many tissues including the joints, heart, and nervous system.<br />
Motility and chemotaxis are critical for bacterial survival and adaptation in diverse<br />
environmental conditions. In several species <strong>of</strong> bacteria, motility and chemotaxis have been<br />
shown to be associated with the disease process. Results obtained using B. burgdorferi with<br />
mutations in key motility and chemotaxis genes also indicate that these activities are required<br />
for the pathogenesis <strong>of</strong> Lyme disease. These studies could lead to the development <strong>of</strong> a novel<br />
pharmacological agent to treat/prevent Lyme disease.<br />
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