Abstract
The emerging pathogen, Borrelia miyamotoi, is a relapsing fever spirochete vectored by the same species of Ixodes ticks that carry the causative agents of Lyme disease in the US, Europe, and Asia. Symptoms caused by infection with B. miyamotoi are similar to a relapsing fever infection. However, B. miyamotoi has adapted to different vectors and reservoirs, which could result in unique physiology, including immune evasion mechanisms. Lyme Borrelia utilize a combination of Ixodes-produced inhibitors and native proteins [i.e., factor H-binding proteins (FHBPs)/complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins, p43, BBK32, BGA66, BGA71, CD59-like protein] to inhibit complement, while some relapsing fever spirochetes use C4b-binding protein and likely Ornithodoros-produced inhibitors. To evade the humoral response, Borrelia utilize antigenic variation of either outer surface proteins (Osps) and the Vmp-like sequences (Vls) system (Lyme borreliae) or variable membrane proteins (Vmps, relapsing fever borreliae). B. miyamotoi possesses putative FHBPs and antigenic variation of Vmps has been demonstrated. This review summarizes and compares the common mechanisms utilized by Lyme and relapsing fever spirochetes, as well as the current state of understanding immune evasion by B. miyamotoi.
Highlights
INTRODUCTIONThis group of diseases include an array of viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens (e.g., Lyme disease, tick-borne relapsing fever, anaplasmosis, rickettsiosis, Powassan virus, tickborne encephalitis virus, Colorado tick fever, Heartland virus, babesisosis) transmitted by the bite of certain species of hard and soft shell ticks from four genera (Ixodes, Dermacentor, Amblyomma, Ornithodoros) [1,2,3]
Tick-borne diseases are among the top reported diseases to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
B. miyamotoi is a relapsing fever spirochete vectored by the same Ixodes spp. that transmit species of the B. burgdorferi s.l. complex
Summary
This group of diseases include an array of viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens (e.g., Lyme disease, tick-borne relapsing fever, anaplasmosis, rickettsiosis, Powassan virus, tickborne encephalitis virus, Colorado tick fever, Heartland virus, babesisosis) transmitted by the bite of certain species of hard and soft shell ticks from four genera (Ixodes, Dermacentor, Amblyomma, Ornithodoros) [1,2,3]. 20 closely related pathogenic and non-pathogenic species of Borrelia form the B. burgdorferi sensu lato complex Of these 20 species, at least five are classified as causative agents of Lyme disease (US: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto; Europe and Asia: B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. spielmanii, B. bavariensis) [4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. B. miyamotoi is a relapsing fever spirochete vectored by the same Ixodes spp. that transmit species of the B. burgdorferi s.l. complex. Relapsing fever is characterized by recurring spirochetemia corresponding to recurrent episodes of high fever not seen with B. burgdorferi s.l. infections
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