Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Adv Appl Microbiol. 2014;86:41-143. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800262-9.00002-0.
Borrelia burgdorferi, the vector-borne bacterium that causes Lyme disease, was first identified in 1982. It is known that much of the pathology associated with Lyme borreliosis is due to the spirochete's ability to infect, colonize, disseminate, and survive within the vertebrate host. Early studies aimed at defining the biological contributions of individual genes during infection and transmission were hindered by the lack of adequate tools and techniques for molecular genetic analysis of the spirochete. The development of genetic manipulation techniques, paired with elucidation and annotation of the B. burgdorferi genome sequence, has led to major advancements in our understanding of the virulence factors and the molecular events associated with Lyme disease. Since the dawn of this genetic era of Lyme research, genes required for vector or host adaptation have garnered significant attention and highlighted the central role that these components play in the enzootic cycle of this pathogen. This chapter covers the progress made in the Borrelia field since the application of mutagenesis techniques and how they have allowed researchers to begin ascribing roles to individual genes. Understanding the complex process of adaptation and survival as the spirochete cycles between the tick vector and vertebrate host will lead to the development of more effective diagnostic tools as well as identification of novel therapeutic and vaccine targets. In this chapter, the Borrelia genes are presented in the context of their general biological roles in global gene regulation, motility, cell processes, immune evasion, and colonization/dissemination.
伯氏疏螺旋体，这种引起莱姆病的经媒介传播的细菌，于 1982 年首次被确认。众所周知，莱姆螺旋体病的许多病理学特征都归因于该螺旋体感染、定植、传播和在脊椎动物宿主体内存活的能力。早期的研究旨在确定感染和传播过程中单个基因的生物学贡献，但由于缺乏对螺旋体进行分子遗传学分析的适当工具和技术，这些研究受到了阻碍。遗传操作技术的发展，加上伯氏疏螺旋体基因组序列的阐明和注释，使我们对毒力因子和与莱姆病相关的分子事件有了重大的认识进展。自莱姆病研究的遗传时代开始以来，与宿主或媒介适应相关的基因引起了人们的极大关注，并强调了这些成分在该病原体的地方性循环中所起的核心作用。本章涵盖了自诱变技术应用以来在伯氏疏螺旋体领域取得的进展，以及它们如何使研究人员开始为单个基因赋予作用。了解螺旋体在蜱媒介和脊椎动物宿主之间循环时的适应和生存的复杂过程，将导致开发更有效的诊断工具以及鉴定新的治疗和疫苗靶标。在本章中，根据其在全局基因调控、运动、细胞过程、免疫逃逸和定植/传播中的一般生物学作用，介绍了伯氏疏螺旋体基因。
