TY - JOUR
T1 - Diversity and host specificityof Borrelia burgdorferi's outer surface protein C (ospC) alleles in synanthropic mammals, with a notable ospC allele U absence from mixed infections
AU - Shifflett, Scarlet A.
AU - Ferreira, Francisco C.
AU - González, Julia
AU - Toledo, Alvaro
AU - Fonseca, Dina M.
AU - Ellis, Vincenzo A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 American Society for Microbiology.
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Interactions among pathogen genotypes that vary in host specificitymay affectoverall 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 specificityassociated 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 significantnumber of differentalleles 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.
AB - Interactions among pathogen genotypes that vary in host specificitymay affectoverall 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 specificityassociated 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 significantnumber of differentalleles 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.
KW - Peromyscus
KW - Tamias striatus
KW - host specificity
KW - pathogen interactions
KW - reservoir hosts
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85182588294&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85182588294&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/iai.00244-23
DO - 10.1128/iai.00244-23
M3 - Article
C2 - 38099660
SN - 0019-9567
VL - 92
JO - Infection and immunity
JF - Infection and immunity
IS - 1
ER -