Borrelia burgdorferi NEU2011
Borrelia burgforferi NEU2011
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Borrelia burgdorferi NEU2011
Classification
Higher order taxa
Domain- Bacteria
Phylum- Spirochaetes
Class- Spirochaetes
Order- Spirochaetales
Family- Spirochaetaceae
Genus- Borrelia
Species- Borellia burgdorferi
Description and Significance
Borellia burgdorferi is a spirochete which are cells that are both gram-negative and spiral-shaped with endoflagellum. The study of Borellia burgdorferi is very significant because it is the tick-borne agent of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is carried out by the bacterium, and transmitted through a variety of deer ticks, including Ixodes dammini (2). The disease was first discovered in 1982, by Willy Burgdorfer. He isolated spirochetes from the mid guts of Ixodes ticks and demonstrated that spirochetes and the immune serum reacted together from patients who were diagnosed with Lyme disease. Symptoms of the disease consist of inflammation all around the body, arthritis, heart problems and it can also affect the nervous system (8). Researchers have been studying Lyme disease for a decade after they discovered the complete genome sequence for B. burgdorferi strain 31. Recently researchers determined the whole genome sequences of thirteen isolates of B. burgdorferi. The significance of this discovery proves that researchers will be able to improve on the understanding of its pathogenesis, and provide prevention strategies in the near future (7).
Genome Structure
The Borrelia burgdorferi genome contains 1.44 Mega base pairs with the number of G+C bases totaling 28%. It has a total of 22 DNA molecules including 21 extrachromosomal DNA elements, the largest known number of any bacterium (1). These include 12 linear and 9 circular plasmids which range from 5 to 56 kilobases (3). The plasmids contain a total of 1706 genes, including many pseudogenes, which suggests that the genome is actively evolving. It is also one of the few known bacteria to have a linear chromosome. Studies have shown that the linear plasmids have covalently closed ends, which occurs in some animal viruses but has not been found in prokaryotic organisms (5).
Cell Structure and Metabolism
The cell consists of a protoplasmic cylinder that includes the genome and cytoplasmic membrane, all enclosed by a flexible multilayered envelope. The cells have 5-7 coils and contain anywhere from 7-20 endoflagella, that are embedded in the periplasm and are located at each pole (4). The machinery used in motility is similar to other bacteria in that it has a filament, hook and basal body (6).
B. burgdorferi is classified as a microaerophilic chemoorganotroph; they derive energy from metabolizing organic molecules and require oxygen to survive, but in very low concentrations. They are known to have very limited metabolic capacity and are therefore difficult to culture in the lab (6).
Ecology
The white footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is said to be the main carrier of Borrelia burgdorferi. However, it is also found in other small mammals and birds. Ticks acquire the bacteria by feeding on the blood of infected mammals and birds. Subsequently, they act as a reservoir and can transmit it further to other animals, including humans. (2)
Throughout the world there are the variety of species of ticks that act as vectors for B. burgdorferi. In Northeastern America, the bacterium resides in guts of the species of tick called Ixodes scapularis, in western North America they thrive in the guts of Ixodes pacificus, in northern mid Asia they thrive in Ixodes persulcatus, and throughout Europe the bacterium resides in the Ixodes ricinus. As far as the host in which B. burgdorferi is then transmitted, the spectrum is very wide because the bacterium can be hosted by a broad variety of vertebrates. (2) Once transmitted, B. burgdorferi can reside and take on pathogenic affects in vertebrates ranging from rodents, lagomorphs (such as rabbits), some birds, ungulates (such as deer) and even a few species of reptiles. However, other species of ticks have not been shown to be a reservoir for B. burgdorferi. (6)
Pathology
Borrelia burgdorferi is a very pathogenic agent and is the cause of Lyme disease. There are three different stages to Lyme disease, primary, early disseminated and chronic. (6)B. burgdorferi is incorporated into the body through the bite of the tick. When a human is initially bitten by a B. burgdorferi carrying tick, the area around the bite is contracts a skin disorder known as Erythema migrans, and this creates a red ring, almost like a target around the bite site. The saliva from the tick contains many different substances that can disrupt the immune system response at the bite site, which in turn helps the bacteria to more readily pass into the circulatory system. From the circulatory system B. burgdorferi can spread to the heart, liver, joints, ect. This is what causes the wide array of pathogenic effects and why each specific case of Lyme disease varies. However, B. burgdorferi does not cause pathogenic affects is all animals, some such as deer, can get infected but not show any symptoms of a disease. Therefore, not only does the specific carrying vector of the bacterium vary from region to region, the pathogenic effects differ as well.
In order to reduce the risk of contracting Lyme disease one should wear long sleeves when walking through long grass or brush, especially during the summer months. Ticks can not hop or move quickly, normally they just wait for a host to pass by them before dropping. If infected the treatment includes various antibiotics, but it needs to be caught early enough. In some later stages of the diseases, B. burgdorferi can cross the blood brain barrier can cause significant neural damage. The process of the bacterium crossing the blood brain barrier is not yet fully understood.
Current Research
Insert text here
Cool Factor
Insert text here
References
1. Casjens, S., Palmer, N., Van Vugt, R., Mun Huang, W., Stevenson, B., Rosa, P., Lathigra, R., Sutton, G., Peterson, J., Dodson, R. J., Haft, D., Hickey, E., Gwinn, M., White, O. and M. Fraser, C. (2000), A bacterial genome in flux: the twelve linear and nine circular extrachromosomal DNAs in an infectious isolate of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Molecular Microbiology, 35: 490–516. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.01698.x
2. Meyerhoff, John O. 2009. Lyme Disease Causes and Transmission. E-Medicine from WebMD, New York, NY: Healthwise Publishing.
3. Norris, Steven J. 2006. The dynamic proteome of Lyme disease Borrelia. Genome Biology, 7:209 doi:10.1186/gb-2006-7-3-209.
4. Madigan MT, Martinko JM, Dunlap PV, Clark DP. 2009. Brock Biology of Microorganisms. Twelfth Edition. San Francisco, CA: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings.
5. Barbour AG, Garon CF. July 1987. Linear plasmids of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi have covalently closed ends. Science Magazine, Vol. 237 no. 4813 pp. 409-411 DOI: 10.1126/science.3603026
6. Kahl O, Lane RS, Stanek G. 2002. Lyme Borreliosis : Biology, Epidemiology and Control. New York, NY: CABI Publishing.
7. Schutzer SE. 2011. Whole genome sequences of Borellia Burgdorferi. Journal of Bacteriology. 4:193 doi:10.1128/JB.01158-10.
8. Sternbach G, Dibble CL. 1996. Willy Burgdorfer: Lyme Disease. Journal of Emergency Medicine. 4:631
9. Wormser GP, Dattwyler RJ, Shapiro ED, et al. The clinical assessment, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and babesiosis: Clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;43(9):1089-1134
