Diversity and host specificity of Borrelia burgdorferi’s outer surface protein C (ospC) alleles in synanthropic mammals, with a notable ospC allele U absence from mixed infections
Date
2023-12-15
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Infection and Immunity
Abstract
Interactions among pathogen genotypes that vary in host specificity may affect overall transmission dynamics in multi-host systems. Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease, is typically transmitted among wildlife by Ixodes ticks. Despite the existence of many alleles of B. burgdorferi’s sensu stricto outer surface protein C (ospC) gene, most human infections are caused by a small number of ospC alleles [“human infectious alleles” (HIAs)], suggesting variation in host specificity associated with ospC. To characterize the wildlife host association of B. burgdorferi’s ospC alleles, we used metagenomics to sequence ospC alleles from 68 infected individuals belonging to eight mammalian species trapped at three sites in suburban New Brunswick, New Jersey (USA). We found that multiple allele (“mixed”) infections were common. HIAs were most common in mice (Peromyscus spp.) and only one HIA was detected at a site where mice were rarely captured. ospC allele U was exclusively found in chipmunks (Tamias striatus), and although a significant number of different alleles were observed in chipmunks, including HIAs, allele U never co-occurred with other alleles in mixed infections. Our results suggest that allele U may be excluding other alleles, thereby reducing the capacity of chipmunks to act as reservoirs for HIAs.
Description
This article was originally published in Infection and Immunity. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00244-23. Copyright © 2023 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. This article will be embargoed until 6/15/2024.
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Citation
Shifflett SA, Ferreira FC, González J, Toledo A, Fonseca DM, Ellis VA. 2024. Diversity and host specificity of Borrelia burgdorferi’s outer surface protein C (ospC) alleles in synanthropic mammals, with a notable ospC allele U absence from mixed infections. Infect Immun 92:e00244-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00244-23