NYMC Faculty Publications
Hidden in Plain Sight: Borrelia Burgdorferi and the Extracellular Matrix
DOI
10.1016/j.tim.2007.06.003
Journal Title
Trends in Microbiology
First Page
350
Last Page
354
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
August 2007
Department
Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick-transmitted etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis, can colonize and persist in multiple tissue sites despite vigorous host immune responses. The extracellular matrix appears to provide a protective niche for the spirochete. Recent studies in mice suggest that B. burgdorferi interacts in various ways with collagen and its associated molecules, exploiting molecular and structural features to establish microcolonial refugia. Better knowledge of the genetic and structural bases for these interactions of B. burgdorferi with the extracellular matrix will be required before an understanding of the persistence of B. burgdorferi in the tissues and development of chronic infections can be achieved.
Recommended Citation
Cabello, F. C., Godfrey, H., & Newman, S. (2007). Hidden in Plain Sight: Borrelia Burgdorferi and the Extracellular Matrix. Trends in Microbiology, 15 (8), 350-354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2007.06.003
