The chitobiose transporter, chbC, is required for chitin utilization in Borrelia burgdorferi.

BMC Microbiology
Ryan G RhodesDavid R Nelson

Abstract

The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is a limited-genome organism that must obtain many of its biochemical building blocks, including N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), from its tick or vertebrate host. GlcNAc can be imported into the cell as a monomer or dimer (chitobiose), and the annotation for several B. burgdorferi genes suggests that this organism may be able to degrade and utilize chitin, a polymer of GlcNAc. We investigated the ability of B. burgdorferi to utilize chitin in the absence of free GlcNAc, and we attempted to identify genes involved in the process. We also examined the role of RpoS, one of two alternative sigma factors present in B. burgdorferi, in the regulation of chitin utilization. Using fluorescent chitinase substrates, we demonstrated an inherent chitinase activity in rabbit serum, a component of the B. burgdorferi growth medium (BSK-II). After inactivating this activity by boiling, we showed that wild-type cells can utilize chitotriose, chitohexose or coarse chitin flakes in the presence of boiled serum and in the absence of free GlcNAc. Further, we replaced the serum component of BSK-II with a lipid extract and still observed growth on chitin substrates without free Glc...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 4, 2013·Chemical Reviews·Sandeep Basu, Chetana Sachidanandan
Dec 22, 2011·Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology·Yu Xin Wang, Michael A Rudnicki
Nov 26, 2015·Clinics in Laboratory Medicine·Mary Petzke, Ira Schwartz
Oct 8, 2013·Biotechnology Advances·Sina Adrangi, Mohammad Ali Faramarzi
Mar 3, 2020·Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology·Julia L Shamshina, Paula Berton
Mar 7, 2021·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Rkhaila AmineOunine Khadija
Jul 18, 2015·Microbiology Spectrum·Arianna Corona, Ira Schwartz

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
phosphotransferase
electrophoresis
PCR

Software Mentioned

DNASTAR Lasergene

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