Functional characterization of Borrelia spielmanii outer surface proteins that interact with distinct members of the human factor H protein family and with plasminogen

Infect Immun. 2010 Jan;78(1):39-48. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00691-09. Epub 2009 Oct 26.

Abstract

Acquisition of complement regulator factor H (CFH) and factor H-like protein 1 (CFHL1) from human serum enables Borrelia spielmanii, one of the etiological agents of Lyme disease, to evade complement-mediated killing by the human host. Up to three distinct complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins (CRASPs) may be expressed by serum-resistant B. spielmanii, each exhibiting an affinity for CFH and/or CFHL1. Here, we describe the functional characterization of the 15-kDa CRASPs of B. spielmanii, members of the polymorphic Erp (OspE/F-related) protein family, that bind two distinct host complement regulators, CFH and factor H-related protein 1 (CFHR1), but not CFHL1. CFH bound to the B. spielmanii CRASPs maintained cofactor activity for factor I-mediated C3b inactivation. Three naturally occurring alleles of this protein bound CFH and CFHR1 while a fourth natural allele could not. Comparative sequence analysis of these protein alleles identified a single amino acid, histidine-79, as playing a significant role in CFH/CFHR1 binding, with substitution by an arginine completely abrogating ligand binding. The mutation of His-79 to Arg did not inhibit binding of plasminogen, another known ligand of this group of borrelial outer-surface proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Borrelia / metabolism*
  • Complement Activation
  • Complement Factor H / genetics
  • Complement Factor H / metabolism*
  • Culture Media
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Plasminogen / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Serum / chemistry

Substances

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Culture Media
  • Complement Factor H
  • Plasminogen

Associated data

  • GENBANK/FN433925
  • GENBANK/FN433926
  • GENBANK/FN433927
  • GENBANK/FN433928