Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed mice
Outer surface protein C (OspC) is a commonly used marker in population studies of Borreliella to differentiate types and establish evolution over time. Investigating the ospC genetic types of Borreliella burgdorferi across multiple organ tissues of white-footed mice has the potential to contribute t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.998365/full |
| _version_ | 1828122570259431424 |
|---|---|
| author | Sonya G. Zawada Sonya G. Zawada Michael E. von Fricken Thomas A. Weppelmann Masoumeh Sikaroodi Patrick M. Gillevet |
| author_facet | Sonya G. Zawada Sonya G. Zawada Michael E. von Fricken Thomas A. Weppelmann Masoumeh Sikaroodi Patrick M. Gillevet |
| author_sort | Sonya G. Zawada |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Outer surface protein C (OspC) is a commonly used marker in population studies of Borreliella to differentiate types and establish evolution over time. Investigating the ospC genetic types of Borreliella burgdorferi across multiple organ tissues of white-footed mice has the potential to contribute to our understanding of Lyme disease and the wide spectrum of clinical presentation associated with infection. In this study, five unique tissue types were sampled from 90 mice and screened for B. burgdorferi infections. This initial screening revealed a 63% overall B. burgdorferi infection rate in the mice collected (57/90). A total of 163 tissues (30.4%) tested positive for B. burgdorferi infections and when mapped to Borreliella types, 143,894 of the initial 322,480 reads mapped to 10 of the reference sequences in the ospC strain library constructed for this study at a 97% MOI. Two tissue types, the ear and the tongue, each accounted for 90% of the observed Borreliella sequence diversity in the tissue samples surveyed. The largest amount of variation was observed in an individual ear tissue sample with six ospC sequence types, which is equivalent to 60% of the observed variation seen across all tested specimens, with statistically significant associations observed between tissue type and detected Borreliella. There is strong evidence for genetic variability in B. burgdorferi within local white-footed mouse populations and even within individual hosts by tissue type. These findings may shed light on drivers of infection sequalae in specific tissues in humans and highlights the need for expanded surveillance on the epigenetics of B. burgdorferi across reservoirs, ticks, and infected patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:37:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a841dcefe1b441208adc95a67f518c77 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:37:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a841dcefe1b441208adc95a67f518c772022-12-22T04:18:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2022-11-011310.3389/fmicb.2022.998365998365Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed miceSonya G. Zawada0Sonya G. Zawada1Michael E. von Fricken2Thomas A. Weppelmann3Masoumeh Sikaroodi4Patrick M. Gillevet5Division of Science and Math, NorthWest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, AR, United StatesDepartment of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United StatesDepartment of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United StatesMorsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United StatesDepartment of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United StatesDepartment of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United StatesOuter surface protein C (OspC) is a commonly used marker in population studies of Borreliella to differentiate types and establish evolution over time. Investigating the ospC genetic types of Borreliella burgdorferi across multiple organ tissues of white-footed mice has the potential to contribute to our understanding of Lyme disease and the wide spectrum of clinical presentation associated with infection. In this study, five unique tissue types were sampled from 90 mice and screened for B. burgdorferi infections. This initial screening revealed a 63% overall B. burgdorferi infection rate in the mice collected (57/90). A total of 163 tissues (30.4%) tested positive for B. burgdorferi infections and when mapped to Borreliella types, 143,894 of the initial 322,480 reads mapped to 10 of the reference sequences in the ospC strain library constructed for this study at a 97% MOI. Two tissue types, the ear and the tongue, each accounted for 90% of the observed Borreliella sequence diversity in the tissue samples surveyed. The largest amount of variation was observed in an individual ear tissue sample with six ospC sequence types, which is equivalent to 60% of the observed variation seen across all tested specimens, with statistically significant associations observed between tissue type and detected Borreliella. There is strong evidence for genetic variability in B. burgdorferi within local white-footed mouse populations and even within individual hosts by tissue type. These findings may shed light on drivers of infection sequalae in specific tissues in humans and highlights the need for expanded surveillance on the epigenetics of B. burgdorferi across reservoirs, ticks, and infected patients.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.998365/fullLyme diseaseborreliosisOspC genegenetic variabilitywhite-footed mousePeromyscus leucopus |
| spellingShingle | Sonya G. Zawada Sonya G. Zawada Michael E. von Fricken Thomas A. Weppelmann Masoumeh Sikaroodi Patrick M. Gillevet Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed mice Frontiers in Microbiology Lyme disease borreliosis OspC gene genetic variability white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus |
| title | Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed mice |
| title_full | Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed mice |
| title_fullStr | Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed mice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed mice |
| title_short | Genetic variation of Borreliella burgdorferi in Fairfax County, Virginia, targeting the OspC gene in white-footed mice |
| title_sort | genetic variation of borreliella burgdorferi in fairfax county virginia targeting the ospc gene in white footed mice |
| topic | Lyme disease borreliosis OspC gene genetic variability white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.998365/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sonyagzawada geneticvariationofborreliellaburgdorferiinfairfaxcountyvirginiatargetingtheospcgeneinwhitefootedmice AT sonyagzawada geneticvariationofborreliellaburgdorferiinfairfaxcountyvirginiatargetingtheospcgeneinwhitefootedmice AT michaelevonfricken geneticvariationofborreliellaburgdorferiinfairfaxcountyvirginiatargetingtheospcgeneinwhitefootedmice AT thomasaweppelmann geneticvariationofborreliellaburgdorferiinfairfaxcountyvirginiatargetingtheospcgeneinwhitefootedmice AT masoumehsikaroodi geneticvariationofborreliellaburgdorferiinfairfaxcountyvirginiatargetingtheospcgeneinwhitefootedmice AT patrickmgillevet geneticvariationofborreliellaburgdorferiinfairfaxcountyvirginiatargetingtheospcgeneinwhitefootedmice |