Controlling Lyme Disease: New Paradigms for Targeting the Tick-Pathogen-Reservoir Axis on the Horizon

Bernard, Quentin; Phelan, James; Hu, Linden T.

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.607170

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(64 reference statements)

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“…While doxycycline and other broad spectrum antibiotics are very effective in treating Lyme disease, the USA has seen a large increase in Lyme disease without any indication of a future decline in cases (Stone et al 2017 ). This has led to discussion of control and/or elimination of B. burgdorferi in the tick reservoir (Dolan et al 2011 , Richer et al 2011 , Bernard et al 2020 ). Doxycycline containing bait targeting mice in Lyme disease endemic regions have proved effective in drastically reducing the number of small mammals and ticks infected with B. burgdorferi , but on a large scale, this strategy causes concern on the development of antibiotic resistance to the most effective Lyme disease drug (Dolan et al 2011 , Bernard et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This has led to discussion of control and/or elimination of B. burgdorferi in the tick reservoir (Dolan et al 2011 , Richer et al 2011 , Bernard et al 2020 ). Doxycycline containing bait targeting mice in Lyme disease endemic regions have proved effective in drastically reducing the number of small mammals and ticks infected with B. burgdorferi , but on a large scale, this strategy causes concern on the development of antibiotic resistance to the most effective Lyme disease drug (Dolan et al 2011 , Bernard et al 2020 ). The identification of this novel and essential transport system in B. burgdorferi could provide an additional target to combat this issue.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification of a novel transport system inBorrelia burgdorferithat links the inner and outer membranes

Bowen

Kenedy

Johnson

et al. 2023

Pathogens and Disease

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Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, is a diderm organism that is similar to Gram-negative organisms in that it contains both an inner and outer membrane. Unlike typical Gram-negative organisms, however, B. burgdorferi lacks lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Using computational genome analyses and structural modeling, we identified a transport system containing six proteins in B. burgdorferi that are all orthologs to proteins found in the lipopolysaccharide transport (LPT) system that links the inner and outer membranes of Gram-negative organisms and is responsible for placing LPS on the surface of these organisms. While B. burgdorferi does not contain LPS, it does encode over 100 different surface-exposed lipoproteins and several major glycolipids, which like LPS are also highly amphiphilic molecules, though no system to transport these molecules to the borrelial surface is known. Accordingly, experiments supplemented by molecular modeling were undertaken to determine whether the orthologous LPT system identified in B. burgdorferi could transport lipoproteins and/or glycolipids to the borrelial outer membrane. Our combined observations strongly suggest that the LPT transport system does not transport lipoproteins to the surface. Molecular dynamic modeling, however, suggests that the borrelial LPT system could transport borrelial glycolipids to the outer membrane.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of a novel transport system inBorrelia burgdorferithat links the inner and outer membranes

Bowen

Kenedy

Johnson

et al. 2023

Pathogens and Disease

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An optimized artificial blood feeding assay to study tick cuticle biology

Kozisek,

Cenovic,

Armendariz

et al. 2024

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

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Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection

de Araújo,

Martins,

Ramos

et al. 2023

Parasites Vectors

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Background The tick Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (A. cajennense s.s.) frequently parasitizes animals and humans in the Amazon biome, in addition to being a vector of Rickettsia amblyommatis. In the present study, we evaluated both the population dynamics of A. cajennense s.s. in a degraded area of the Amazon biome and the presence of rickettsial organisms in this tick population. Methods The study was carried out in a rural area of the Santa Inês municipality (altitude: 24 m a.s.l.), Maranhão state, Brazil. Ticks were collected from the environment for 24 consecutive months, from June 2021 to May 2023. The region is characterized by two warm seasons: a rainy season (November–May) and a dry season (June–October). We characterized the temporal activity of A. cajennense s.s. on the vegetation by examining questing activity for each life stage (larvae, nymphs, adults [males and females]) in relation to the dry and rainy season. Ticks collected in this study were randomly selected and individually tested by a TaqMan real-time PCR assay that targeted a 147-bp fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene. Results Overall, 1843 (62.4%) adults (52.6% females, 47.4% males), 1110 (37.6%) nymphs and 398 larval clusters were collected. All adult females and nymphs were morphologically identified as A. cajennense s.s. Larval activity was observed from April to December, with a peak from June to September (dry season); nymph abundance peaked from September to November (transition period between dry and rainy seasons); and adult ticks were abundant from October to May (spring/summer/early autumn). The infection rate by R. amblyommatis in A. cajennense s.s. ticks was at least 7% (7/99). Conclusion Our data suggest a 1-year generation pattern for A. cajennense s.s., with a well-defined seasonality of larvae, nymphs and adults in the Amazon biome. Larvae predominate during the dry season, nymphs are most abundant in the dry-rainy season transition and adults are most abundant in the rainy season. The presence of R. amblyommatis in adult ticks suggests that animals and humans in the study region are at risk of infection by this species belonging to the spotted fever group of Rickettsia. Graphical Abstract

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Controlling Lyme Disease: New Paradigms for Targeting the Tick-Pathogen-Reservoir Axis on the Horizon

Cited by 4 publications

References 63 publications

Identification of a novel transport system inBorrelia burgdorferithat links the inner and outer membranes

Identification of a novel transport system inBorrelia burgdorferithat links the inner and outer membranes

An optimized artificial blood feeding assay to study tick cuticle biology

Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection

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