Complement Regulator-Acquiring Surface Protein: Difference between revisions

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete ''Borrelia burgdorferi'', and is transferred into vertebrate hosts by zoonotic vectors such as ''Ixodes'' ticks <ref name="Bykowski">PMID: 17562769</ref>. There are thousands of cases of Lyme disease reported each year, making it a prevalent disease in North America and Eurasia <ref name="Cordes">PMID: 15711564</ref>. In order for ''B. burgdorferi'' to survive in its host, it evades the host's immune system through the use of complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins. One such protein responsible for a successful initial infection is ''Borrelia burgdorferi'' complement regulator-acquiring surface protein 1, or BbCRASP-1 <ref name="Bykowski">PMID: 17562769</ref>. Because BbCRASP-1 binds host complement regulators to the spirochete's outer surface, ''B. burgdorferi'' remains undetected within the host <ref name="Bykowski">PMID: 17562769</ref>. BbCRASP-1 specifically binds to complement Factor H (FH) and Factor H-like proteins (FHL-1), which are responsible for the host's immune response and detection of pathogens <ref name="Kraiczy">PMID: 14607842</ref>. Recently, it was found that BbCRASP-1 binds to several other proteins in the extra cellular matrix of a human cell.  

Recently it was found that BbCRASP-1 not only binds to FH and FHL-1 proteins, but it also binds to several other human ligands such as [http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/BMP2_HUMAN BMP-2] and Extra cellular matrix ligands Collagen I, Collagen III, Collagen IV, fibronectin, laminin, and plasminogen <ref name"Hallstrom">PMID: 20565259</ref>. As a result of this new  finding, BbCRASP-1 is said to advocate the bypassing of the complementary immune system in addition to the pathogenesis of Lyme disease. BbCRASP-1 facilitates binding of “Borrelia burgdoferi” to human cells and tissues, which helps spread the infection <ref name"Hallstrom">PMID: 20565259</ref>.