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Borrelia burgdorferi pp 35–45Cite as

Generation of Mammalian Host-Adapted Borrelia burgdorferi by Cultivation in Peritoneal Dialysis Membrane Chamber Implantation in Rats

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1690))

Abstract

The transmission, survival, and virulence of Borrelia burgdorferi depend upon the spirochete’s ability to modulate its transcriptome as it cycles between its arthropod vector and reservoir host. This complex adaptive process is collectively referred to as “host-adaptation.” The paucibacillary nature of borrelial infections precludes the detailed analysis of host adaptation within infected mammalian tissues. To circumvent this limitation, we (J Clin Invest 101:2240–2250, 1998) developed a model system whereby spirochetes are cultivated within dialysis membrane chambers (DMCs) surgically implanted within the peritoneal cavity of a rat. Spirochetes within DMCs are exposed to many, if not all, of the environmental signals and physiological cues required for mammalian host adaptation but are protected from clearance by the host’s immune system.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ms. Anna Allard for her superb technical assistance and Dr. Justin Radolf for his continued support of this work. This work is supported by NIH Grants AI029735 and AI 126146 and an American Heart Association Grant-in-Aid award.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT, 06030-3715, USA

    Melissa J. Caimano

  2. Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT, 06030-3715, USA

    Melissa J. Caimano

  3. Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT, 06030-3715, USA

    Melissa J. Caimano

Authors
  1. Melissa J. Caimano
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Correspondence to Melissa J. Caimano .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Utpal Pal

  2. Department of Microbiology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey

    Ozlem Buyuktanir

1 Electronic Supplementary Materials

Generation of mammalian host-adapted Borrelia burgdorferi by cultivation in peritoneal dialysis membrane chamber implantation in rats. Subheading 3.2, Preparation of DMCs (MP4 25016 kb)

Generation of mammalian host-adapted Borrelia burgdorferi by cultivation in peritoneal dialysis membrane chamber implantation in rats. Subheading 3.3, Peritoneal implant procedure (MP4 313609 kb)

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Caimano, M.J. (2018). Generation of Mammalian Host-Adapted Borrelia burgdorferi by Cultivation in Peritoneal Dialysis Membrane Chamber Implantation in Rats. In: Pal, U., Buyuktanir, O. (eds) Borrelia burgdorferi. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1690. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7383-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7383-5_3

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7382-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7383-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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