LtpA, a CdnL-type CarD regulator, is important for the enzootic cycle of the Lyme disease pathogen.
Emerg Microbes Infect
; 7(1): 126, 2018 Jul 09.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29985409
ABSTRACT
Little is known about how Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease pathogen, adapts and survives in the tick vector. We previously identified a bacterial CarD N-terminal-like (CdnL) protein, LtpA (BB0355), in B. burgdorferi that is preferably expressed at lower temperatures, which is a surrogate condition mimicking the tick portion of the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi. CdnL-family proteins, an emerging class of bacterial RNAP-interacting transcription factors, are essential for the viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Myxococcus xanthus. Previous attempts to inactivate ltpA in B. burgdorferi have not been successful. In this study, we report the construction of a ltpA mutant in the infectious strain of B. burgdorferi, strain B31-5A4NP1. Unlike CdnL in M. tuberculosis and M. xanthus, LtpA is dispensable for the viability of B. burgdorferi. However, the ltpA mutant exhibits a reduced growth rate and a cold-sensitive phenotype. We demonstrate that LtpA positively regulates 16S rRNA expression, which contributes to the growth defects in the ltpA mutant. The ltpA mutant remains capable of infecting mice, albeit with delayed infection. Additionally, the ltpA mutant produces markedly reduced spirochetal loads in ticks and was not able to infect mice via tick infection. Overall, LtpA represents a novel regulator in the CdnL family that has an important role in the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Fatores de Transcrição
/
Doença de Lyme
/
Borrelia burgdorferi
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Emerg Microbes Infect
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
China