Inhibition of Borrelia burgdorferi-Tick Interactions In Vivo by Outer Surface Protein A Antibody

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 166; no. 12; pp. 7398 - 7403
• Main Authors: Pal, Utpal, Montgomery, Ruth R, Lusitani, Denise, Voet, Pierre, Weynants, Vincent, Malawista, Stephen E, Lobet, Yves, Fikrig, Erol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Am Assoc Immnol 15.06.2001
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - metabolism; Antibodies, Bacterial - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Bacterial - chemistry; Antibodies, Bacterial - metabolism; Antibodies, Monoclonal - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal - chemistry; Antibodies, Monoclonal - metabolism; Antigens, Surface - genetics; Antigens, Surface - immunology; Antigens, Surface - metabolism; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - immunology; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Bacterial Vaccines; Binding Sites, Antibody - genetics; Borrelia afzelii; Borrelia burgdorferi; Borrelia burgdorferi Group - genetics; Borrelia burgdorferi Group - immunology; Borrelia garinii; Digestive System - immunology; Digestive System - metabolism; Digestive System - microbiology; Epitopes - genetics; Epitopes - metabolism; Female; Immune Sera - administration & dosage; Immune Sera - chemistry; Immune Sera - metabolism; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Injections, Subcutaneous; Ixodes - anatomy & histology; Ixodes - immunology; Ixodes - metabolism; Ixodes - microbiology; Ixodes scapularis; Ixodidae; Lipoproteins; Lyme Disease - immunology; Lyme Disease - prevention & control; Lyme Disease Vaccines - genetics; Lyme Disease Vaccines - immunology; Lyme Disease Vaccines - metabolism; Mice; Mice, SCID; Mutation; OspA protein; Protein Structure, Tertiary - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.166.12.7398

Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein (Osp) A is preferentially expressed by spirochetes in the Ixodes scapularis gut and facilitates pathogen-vector adherence in vitro. Here we examined B. burgdorferi-tick interactions in vivo by using Abs directed against OspA from each of the three major B. burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. Abs directed against B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (isolate N40) destroy the spirochete and can protect mice from infection. In contrast, antisera raised against OspA from B. afzelii (isolate ACA-1) and B. garinii (isolate ZQ-1) bind to B. burgdorferi N40 but are not borreliacidal against the N40 isolate. Our present studies assess whether these selected OspA Abs interfere with B. burgdorferi-tick attachment in a murine model of Lyme disease with I. scapularis. We examined engorged ticks that had fed on B. burgdorferi N40-infected scid mice previously treated with OspA (N40, ACA-1, ZQ-1, or mAb C3.78) or control Abs. OspA-N40 antisera or mAb C3.78 destroyed B. burgdorferi N40 within the engorged ticks. In contrast, treatment of mice with OspA-ACA-1 and OspA-ZQ-1 antisera did not kill B. burgdorferi N40 within the ticks but did effectively interfere with B. burgdorferi-I. scapularis adherence, thereby preventing efficient colonization of the vector. These studies show that nonborreliacidal OspA Abs can inhibit B. burgdorferi attachment to the tick gut, highlighting the importance of OspA in spirochete-arthropod interactions in vivo.