Transcriptional Profiling the 150 kb Linear Megaplasmid of Borrelia turicatae Suggests a Role in Vector Colonization and Initiating Mammalian Infection.

Development of Genetic System to Inactivate a Borrelia turicatae Surface Protein Selectively Produced within the Salivary Glands of the Arthropod Vector

BACKGROUND Borrelia turicatae, an agent of tick-borne relapsing fever, is an example of a pathogen that can adapt to disparate conditions found when colonizing the mammalian host and arthropod vector. However, little is known about the genetic factors necessary during the tick-mammalian infectious cycle, therefore we developed a genetic system to transform this species of spirochete. We also id...

Transmission Dynamics of Borrelia turicatae from the Arthropod Vector

BACKGROUND With the global distribution, morbidity, and mortality associated with tick and louse-borne relapsing fever spirochetes, it is important to understand the dynamics of vector colonization by the bacteria and transmission to the host. Tick-borne relapsing fever spirochetes are blood-borne pathogens transmitted through the saliva of soft ticks, yet little is known about the transmission...

Studies in Borreliae II. Some Immunologic, Biochemical and Physical Properties of the Antigenic Components of Borrelia turicatae

Diagnosis and Management of Borrelia turicatae Infection in Febrile Soldier, Texas, USA

In August 2015, a soldier returned from field exercises in Texas, USA, with nonspecific febrile illness. Culture and sequencing of spirochetes from peripheral blood diagnosed Borrelia turicatae infection. The patient recovered after receiving doxycycline. No illness occurred in asymptomatic soldiers potentially exposed to the vector tick and prophylactically given treatment.

Large linear plasmids of Borrelia species that cause relapsing fever.

Borrelia species of relapsing fever (RF) and Lyme disease (LD) lineages have linear chromosomes and both linear and circular plasmids. Unique to RF species, and little characterized to date, are large linear plasmids of ∼160 kb, or ∼10% of the genome. By a combination of Sanger and next-generation methods, we determined the sequences of large linear plasmids of two New World species: Borrelia h...