Ultrastructural characterization of the stages of spheroplast preparation of Borrelia burgdorferi

Bruck, David K.; Talbot, Mary L.; Cluss, R G; Boothby, John T.

doi:10.1016/0167-7012(95)00016-e

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In some cases, membranes with discontinuities appeared to partially separate the masses from the bodies of the spirochetes and disrupted flagellar bundles were detected. These masses differ from previously described gemmae (2), which have well-defined contents, and spheroplasts (6,10), which aggregate and have numerous extended flagella. They do resemble, however, structures also called spheroplasts that were formed after treating Borrelia hermsii or B. burgdorferi with penicillin (3, 8a).…”

Section: Vol 183 2001contrasting

confidence: 41%

Genetics and Regulation of Chitobiose Utilization in Borrelia burgdorferi

Tilly¹,

Elias²,

J³

et al. 2001

J Bacteriol

145

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Borrelia burgdorferi spends a significant proportion of its life cycle within an ixodid tick, which has a cuticle containing chitin, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). The B. burgdorferi celA, celB, and celC genes encode products homologous to transporters for cellobiose and chitobiose (the dimer subunit of chitin) in other bacteria, which could be useful for bacterial nutrient acquisition during growth within ticks. We found that chitobiose efficiently substituted for GlcNAc during bacterial growth in culture medium. We inactivated the celB gene, which encodes the putative membrane-spanning component of the transporter, and compared growth of the mutant in various media to that of its isogenic parent. The mutant was no longer able to utilize chitobiose, while neither the mutant nor the wild type can utilize cellobiose. We propose renaming the three genes chbA, chbB, and chbC, since they probably encode a chitobiose transporter. We also found that the chbC gene was regulated in response to growth temperature and during growth in medium lacking GlcNAc.

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Section: Vol 183 2001contrasting

confidence: 41%

Genetics and Regulation of Chitobiose Utilization in Borrelia burgdorferi

Tilly¹,

Elias²,

J³

et al. 2001

J Bacteriol

145

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“…B. burgdorferi has the ability to form cystic structures in tissues (11,14,15). The conversion to cystic forms is also observed in vitro with exposure to antibiotics (1 1, time-consuming (35). Further efforts ought to be made t o examine these cysts with respect t o antigens, PCR products, sensitivity t o antibiotics, and conditions for transformation.…”

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confidence: 99%

A rapid method for generating cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi, and their reversal to mobile spirochetes

Brorson

1998

APMIS

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Brorson 0 , Brorson SH. A rapid method for generating cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi, and their reversal to mobile spirochetes. APMIS 106: 1131-1141, 1998. Mobile Borrelia burgdorferi were transferred to distilled water (lo6 per ml). The cultures were observed by dark field microscopy (DFM), interference contrast microscopy (ICM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). 95% of the spirochetes were converted to cysts after 1 min, and after 4 h no normal mobile borreliae were observed. When transferred to growth medium (BSK-H), the cysts became smaller and more irregular, and were filled with organic substances. After 1 day, 1-5 thin structures sprouted from the cysts. They continued to grow in both length and thickness until they attained a normal spirochetal structure. Finally, these new-born spirochetes detached from the cysts, by which time their mobility had become normal. The present method for producing large amounts of cystic forms of B. burgdorferi is well suited for further studies of this unique microbe.

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“…burgdorferi may assume a dormant state with cyst formation [24][25][26][27][28][29]. Although spirochetal persistence in the cyst form is a controversial issue, it has recently been shown that neutrophil calprotectin can induce a dormant state in the spirochete, allowing it to persist in tissue without replicating and providing the means to avoid antibiotics [30].…”

Section: Genetic Phase and Antigenic Variationmentioning

confidence: 99%