2021
Tick host immunity: vector immunomodulation and acquired tick resistance
Kitsou C, Fikrig E, Pal U. Tick host immunity: vector immunomodulation and acquired tick resistance. Trends In Immunology 2021, 42: 554-574. PMID: 34074602, PMCID: PMC10089699, DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2021.05.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTick-host associationsTick resistanceImmune evasion activitiesNovel preventive strategiesImmunological eventsImmunomodulatory rolePreventive strategiesTick salivaIncidental hostsNew seedsPathogen transmissionBlood mealNatural hostVector competenceNatural persistenceCritical appraisalTicksAssociation
2020
Acquired tick resistance: The trail is hot
Narasimhan S, Kurokawa C, DeBlasio M, Matias J, Sajid A, Pal U, Lynn G, Fikrig E. Acquired tick resistance: The trail is hot. Parasite Immunology 2020, 43: e12808. PMID: 33187012, PMCID: PMC8058238, DOI: 10.1111/pim.12808.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsInteractions Between Ticks and Lyme Disease Spirochetes.
Pal U, Kitsou C, Drecktrah D, Yaş ÖB, Fikrig E. Interactions Between Ticks and Lyme Disease Spirochetes. Current Issues In Molecular Biology 2020, 42: 113-144. PMID: 33289683, PMCID: PMC8045411, DOI: 10.21775/cimb.042.113.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsComplex enzootic life cycleEnzootic life cycleMammalian reservoir hostsMolecular interactionsLife cycleDiscrete molecular interactionsVariety of animalsRelated ticksVertebrate hostsLyme disease spirocheteArthropod vectorsSensu latoPathogen persistenceWild rodentsBacterial pathogensReservoir hostsCritical roleTick-transmitted infectionsMain vectorNortheastern United StatesPast discoveriesHostTicksArthropodsSpirochetesEpigenetic Regulation of Tick Biology and Vectorial Capacity
De S, Kitsou C, Sonenshine DE, Pedra JHF, Fikrig E, Kassis JA, Pal U. Epigenetic Regulation of Tick Biology and Vectorial Capacity. Trends In Genetics 2020, 37: 8-11. PMID: 33020021, PMCID: PMC8008791, DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.09.012.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2019
Protective Immunity and New Vaccines for Lyme Disease
Gomes-Solecki M, Arnaboldi PM, Backenson PB, Benach JL, Cooper CL, Dattwyler RJ, Diuk-Wasser M, Fikrig E, Hovius JW, Laegreid W, Lundberg U, Marconi RT, Marques AR, Molloy P, Narasimhan S, Pal U, Pedra JHF, Plotkin S, Rock DL, Rosa P, Telford SR, Tsao J, Yang XF, Schutzer SE. Protective Immunity and New Vaccines for Lyme Disease. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2019, 70: 1768-1773. PMID: 31620776, PMCID: PMC7155782, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz872.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLyme diseaseCommon tick-borne illnessTick-borne illnessB. burgdorferi infectionBorrelia burgdorferi sensu latoMechanism of actionDirect vaccinationB. burgdorferi proteinsProtective immunityBurgdorferi sensu latoVaccination strategiesBurgdorferi infectionFirst vaccineImmune pathwaysNew vaccinesNumber of casesTick immunityDiseaseVaccineB. burgdorferiHuman hostTick proteinsInfectionImmunityPathogen transmission
2017
Artificial Infection of Ticks with Borrelia burgdorferi Using a Microinjection Method and Their Detection In Vivo Using Quantitative PCR Targeting flaB RNA
Smith AA, Yang X, Fikrig E, Pal U. Artificial Infection of Ticks with Borrelia burgdorferi Using a Microinjection Method and Their Detection In Vivo Using Quantitative PCR Targeting flaB RNA. Methods In Molecular Biology 2017, 1690: 105-114. PMID: 29032540, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7383-5_9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchModulation of the tick gut milieu by a secreted tick protein favors Borrelia burgdorferi colonization
Narasimhan S, Schuijt TJ, Abraham NM, Rajeevan N, Coumou J, Graham M, Robson A, Wu MJ, Daffre S, Hovius JW, Fikrig E. Modulation of the tick gut milieu by a secreted tick protein favors Borrelia burgdorferi colonization. Nature Communications 2017, 8: 184. PMID: 28775250, PMCID: PMC5543126, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00208-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsB. burgdorferi colonizationTick gutImmune responseRNA interference-mediated silencingGut microbiomeLyme disease agentBorrelia burgdorferiB. burgdorferiGutTick proteinsVivo resultsBurgdorferiPixRAbrogationTick Ixodes scapularisArthropod vectorsDisease agentsGut proteinsIxodes scapularisAlterationsGut genesMicrobiomeTick biologyMiceBacterial biofilm formationA Tick Antivirulence Protein Potentiates Antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus
Abraham NM, Liu L, Jutras BL, Murfin K, Acar A, Yarovinsky TO, Sutton E, Heisig M, Jacobs-Wagner C, Fikrig E. A Tick Antivirulence Protein Potentiates Antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy 2017, 61: 10.1128/aac.00113-17. PMID: 28438938, PMCID: PMC5487661, DOI: 10.1128/aac.00113-17.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNovel alternative therapeutic strategyAlternative therapeutic strategiesEfficacy of antibioticsTherapeutic strategiesTransgenic miceBacterial infectionsInfection modelDifferent antibioticsAntibioticsAntibiotic resistanceStaphylococcus aureusPotency of antibioticsClinical pathogensPeptides representativeImproved permeationPathogensPotent antibiofilm propertiesIAFGPTick Bioactive Molecules as Novel Therapeutics: Beyond Vaccine Targets
Murfin KE, Fikrig E. Tick Bioactive Molecules as Novel Therapeutics: Beyond Vaccine Targets. Frontiers In Cellular And Infection Microbiology 2017, 7: 222. PMID: 28634573, PMCID: PMC5459892, DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00222.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2015
Tick microbiome: the force within
Narasimhan S, Fikrig E. Tick microbiome: the force within. Trends In Parasitology 2015, 31: 315-323. PMID: 25936226, PMCID: PMC4492851, DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.03.010.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
2014
A Tick Gut Protein with Fibronectin III Domains Aids Borrelia burgdorferi Congregation to the Gut during Transmission
Narasimhan S, Coumou J, Schuijt TJ, Boder E, Hovius JW, Fikrig E. A Tick Gut Protein with Fibronectin III Domains Aids Borrelia burgdorferi Congregation to the Gut during Transmission. PLOS Pathogens 2014, 10: e1004278. PMID: 25102051, PMCID: PMC4125277, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004278.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAnaplasma phagocytophilum surface protein AipA mediates invasion of mammalian host cells
Seidman D, Ojogun N, Walker NJ, Mastronunzio J, Kahlon A, Hebert KS, Karandashova S, Miller DP, Tegels BK, Marconi RT, Fikrig E, Borjesson DL, Carlyon JA. Anaplasma phagocytophilum surface protein AipA mediates invasion of mammalian host cells. Cellular Microbiology 2014, 16: 1133-1145. PMID: 24612118, PMCID: PMC4115035, DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12286.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGranulocytic anaplasmosisObligate intracellular bacteriumVivo infectionInfectionPhagocytophilum infectionTransmission feedingObligate intracellular pathogensInfected ticksIntracellular pathogensNon-phagocytic cellsIntracellular bacteriumHL-60 cellsHost cell invasionCell invasionAnaplasma phagocytophilumPeptide-specific antiserumOwn uptakeHost cellsAttractive targetInternalization stepMammalian cellsInvasion proteinsSurface proteinsCell morphotypesCells
2013
The lipoprotein La7 contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi persistence in ticks and their transmission to naïve hosts
Yang X, Hegde S, Shroder DY, Smith AA, Promnares K, Neelakanta G, Anderson JF, Fikrig E, Pal U. The lipoprotein La7 contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi persistence in ticks and their transmission to naïve hosts. Microbes And Infection 2013, 15: 729-737. PMID: 23774694, PMCID: PMC3769513, DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.06.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsComplex enzootic cycleInner membrane proteinB. burgdorferi persistenceProtein-protein interactionsOuter membrane lipoproteinNaïve hostsSpirochete life cycleCo-immunoprecipitation studiesMammalian infectivityMembrane proteinsRedundant rolesMolecular detailsMammalian hostsMembrane lipoproteinGene expressionWild typeInfection cycleLiquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysisPathogen survivalBiological significanceHost transmissionEnzootic cyclePathogen transmissionSpectrometry analysisLA7
2012
Anaplasma phagocytophilum Outer Membrane Protein A Interacts with Sialylated Glycoproteins To Promote Infection of Mammalian Host Cells
Ojogun N, Kahlon A, Ragland SA, Troese MJ, Mastronunzio JE, Walker NJ, VieBrock L, Thomas RJ, Borjesson DL, Fikrig E, Carlyon JA. Anaplasma phagocytophilum Outer Membrane Protein A Interacts with Sialylated Glycoproteins To Promote Infection of Mammalian Host Cells. Infection And Immunity 2012, 80: 3748-3760. PMID: 22907813, PMCID: PMC3486060, DOI: 10.1128/iai.00654-12.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMammalian host cellsHuman granulocytic anaplasmosisHost cellsHL-60 cellsA. phagocytophilum organismsExtracellular domainP-selectin glycoprotein-1Outer Membrane Protein ASialylated glycoproteinsA. phagocytophilum infectionA. phagocytophilum-infected ticksN-terminal regionMembrane protein AObligate intracellular bacteriumAmino acids 19HGA patientsPhagocytophilum infectionInfectionTransmission feedingGlutathione S-transferaseGranulocytic anaplasmosisIntracellular bacteriumGlycoprotein 1Anaplasma phagocytophilumA. phagocytophilumActivation of the RpoN-RpoS regulatory pathway during the enzootic life cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi
Ouyang Z, Narasimhan S, Neelakanta G, Kumar M, Pal U, Fikrig E, Norgard MV. Activation of the RpoN-RpoS regulatory pathway during the enzootic life cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi. BMC Microbiology 2012, 12: 44. PMID: 22443136, PMCID: PMC3320556, DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-44.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRpoN-RpoS regulatory pathwayRpoN-RpoS pathwayExpression of rpoSEnzootic life cycleMammalian infectionRegulatory pathwaysTranscription of rpoSOuter membrane lipoproteinLife cycleB. burgdorferiKey environmental stimuliLyme disease pathogenesisDiverse nichesMembrane lipoproteinMammalian hostsTarget genesTranscription levelsMicrobial survivalLipoprotein geneRpoSOrganism adaptationInfectious cycleFed larvaeIntermolt larvaeSustained transcription
2011
Molecular Interactions that Enable Movement of the Lyme Disease Agent from the Tick Gut into the Hemolymph
Zhang L, Zhang Y, Adusumilli S, Liu L, Narasimhan S, Dai J, Zhao YO, Fikrig E. Molecular Interactions that Enable Movement of the Lyme Disease Agent from the Tick Gut into the Hemolymph. PLOS Pathogens 2011, 7: e1002079. PMID: 21695244, PMCID: PMC3111543, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002079.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLyme disease agentB. burgdorferi burdenTick gutOuter surface lipoproteinsTick gut proteinsSalivary gland infectionIxodes scapularis ticksInfection resultsMouse infectionDisease agentsGland infectionLyme diseaseBorrelia burgdorferiScapularis ticksB. burgdorferiCausative agentInfectionBurgdorferiGutGut proteinsSpirochetesTick hemolymphTicksAgentsHemolymphIdentification and Characterization of Ixodes scapularis Antigens That Elicit Tick Immunity Using Yeast Surface Display
Schuijt TJ, Narasimhan S, Daffre S, DePonte K, Hovius JW, Veer C, van der Poll T, Bakhtiari K, Meijers JC, Boder ET, van Dam AP, Fikrig E. Identification and Characterization of Ixodes scapularis Antigens That Elicit Tick Immunity Using Yeast Surface Display. PLOS ONE 2011, 6: e15926. PMID: 21246036, PMCID: PMC3016337, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015926.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSalivary antigensTick salivary antigensPotential vaccine candidatesAnti-coagulant activityTick biteImmunization studiesVaccine candidatesAnti-complement activityTick antigensRepeated exposureTick immunityAntigenRabbit serumHall markTicks resultsImmunitySerumYeast surface display libraryRabbitsDisplay libraryIxodes scapularisDrosophila expression systemP19Surface display libraryP8
2008
Salivating for Knowledge: Potential Pharmacological Agents in Tick Saliva
Hovius JW, Levi M, Fikrig E. Salivating for Knowledge: Potential Pharmacological Agents in Tick Saliva. PLOS Medicine 2008, 5: e43. PMID: 18271624, PMCID: PMC2235897, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050043.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2007
Borrelia burgdorferi basic membrane proteins A and B participate in the genesis of Lyme arthritis
Pal U, Wang P, Bao F, Yang X, Samanta S, Schoen R, Wormser GP, Schwartz I, Fikrig E. Borrelia burgdorferi basic membrane proteins A and B participate in the genesis of Lyme arthritis. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2007, 205: 133-141. PMID: 18166585, PMCID: PMC2234379, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20070962.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLyme arthritisMouse jointsB. burgdorferi antigensBurgdorferi-infected miceSevere arthritisSpirochete numbersArthritisHost responseLyme diseaseAffinity-purified antibodiesBorrelia burgdorferiChain reactionMiceOriginal phenotypeBasic membrane proteinMutant spirochetesGene expressionJointsInflammationPathogenesisAntigenDiseaseB. burgdorferi gene expression
2006
Borrelia burgdorferi Lacking BBK32, a Fibronectin-Binding Protein, Retains Full Pathogenicity
Li X, Liu X, Beck DS, Kantor FS, Fikrig E. Borrelia burgdorferi Lacking BBK32, a Fibronectin-Binding Protein, Retains Full Pathogenicity. Infection And Immunity 2006, 74: 3305-3313. PMID: 16714558, PMCID: PMC1479267, DOI: 10.1128/iai.02035-05.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsB. burgdorferiFlat ticksB. burgdorferi proteinsTick biteSpirochete acquisitionLyme disease spirocheteAdverse effectsBorrelia burgdorferiFibronectin-binding proteinBurgdorferiFibronectin binding proteinMiceSpirochete life cycleLyme pathogenesisB. burgdorferi B31Mammalian hostsSyringe inoculationExpression profilesBBK32Surface lipoproteinsFibronectin bindingPathogenesisExpressionInfectionTemporal expression profiles