Tick saliva affects both proliferation and distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes in mouse organs and increases transmission of spirochetes to ticks

0334910 - BC 2010 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Horká, Helena - Černá-Kýčková, Kateřina - Skallová, Anna - Kopecký, Jan
Tick saliva affects both proliferation and distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes in mouse organs and increases transmission of spirochetes to ticks.
International Journal of Medical Microbiology. Roč. 299, č. 5 (2009), s. 373-380. ISSN 1438-4221. E-ISSN 1618-0607
R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA600960811; GA MŠMT(CZ) LC06009
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518
Keywords : Borrelia burgdorferi * Ixodes ricinus * saliva-activated transmission * real-time PCR
Subject RIV: EC - Immunology
Impact factor: 2.802, year: 2009

The influence of the feeding of uninfected Ixodes ricinus nymphs on the proliferation and distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes was compared with the effect of coinoculated saliva or salivary gland extract (SGE). SGE significantly increased spirochete numbers in the skin 4 and 6 dpi, but decreased bacterial load in the heart compared to control animals. The inoculation of tick saliva increased spirochete load in the urinary bladder 6 dpi, while the number of spirochetes in the heart declined. The nymph feeding raised spirochete load in the bladder 4 and 6 dpi. On day 6, the number of spirochetes in the heart was significantly lower than in controls. The prevalence of spirochetes in ticks infected by feeding on mice was 10× higher when the mice were infected with spirochetes and saliva or SGE, in comparison with spirochetes alone. The presence of SGE in the inoculum increased spirochete burden per tick from 0 to almost 28000.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0179519