Competition between strains of Borrelia afzelii in the host tissues and consequences for transmission to ticks

0553209 - BC 2022 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Genne, D. - Rossel, M. - Sarr, A. - Battilotti, F. - Rais, O. - Rego, Ryan O. M. - Voordouw, M.
Competition between strains of Borrelia afzelii in the host tissues and consequences for transmission to ticks.
The ISME Journal. Roč. 15, č. 8 (2021), s. 2390-2400. ISSN 1751-7362. E-ISSN 1751-7370
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : burgdorferi sensu-stricto * mediated apparent competition * rodent malaria * lyme borreliosis * parasite virulence * ixodes-scapularis * genetic diversity * disease * ospc * population
OECD category: Microbiology
Impact factor: 11.217, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41396-021-00939-5

Pathogen species often consist of genetically distinct strains, which can establish mixed infections or coinfections in the host. In coinfections, interactions between pathogen strains can have important consequences for their transmission success. We used the tick-borne bacterium Borrelia afzelii, which is the most common cause of Lyme disease in Europe, as a model multi-strain pathogen to investigate the relationship between coinfection, competition between strains, and strain-specific transmission success. Mus musculus mice were infected with one or two strains of B. afzelii, strain transmission success was measured by feeding ticks on mice, and the distribution of each strain in six different mouse organs and the ticks was measured using qPCR. Coinfection and competition reduced the tissue infection prevalence of both strains and changed their bacterial abundance in some tissues. Coinfection and competition also reduced the transmission success of the B. afzelii strains from the infected hosts to feeding ticks. The ability of the B. afzelii strains to establish infection in the host tissues was strongly correlated with their transmission success to the tick vector. Our study demonstrates that coinfection and competition between pathogen strains inside the host tissues can have major consequences for their transmission success.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0328206