Written by undergraduate researcher Zoe Quinn
The Many Faces of Borrelia burgdorferi
Borrelia burgdorferi is one of the bacterium that causes Lyme
disease. It is typically observed in a spirochete form that looks like a
corkscrew. When put under stress, it can change into different forms such as
stationary phase persisters and biofilm forms as seen in the photos below.
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Figure 1. Images of Borrelia burgdorferi in their usual
spiral form (A) and their colony-like masses (B) under a dark field microscope. (Figure credit Miklossy et.al. 2008)
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Figure 2. Images of
atypical forms of Borrelia burgdorferi induced by harmful conditions, in which
they are curling and forming loops. (Figure credit Miklossy et.al. 2008)
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Figure 3. Images of cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi
induced by Thioflavin S, observed using atomic force microscopy. (Figure credit Miklossy et.al. 2008)
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Some studies have shown that these irregular shapes are more
resistant to common antibiotic treatments, such as doxycycline and
amoxicillin. Therefore, these forms have
been questioned as the cause of prolonged persistent symptoms of Lyme disease
after antibiotic treatment, called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome
(PTLDS). Although currently it is not possible to link a causal relationship
between them.
For more information and photos, you can check the following
journal articles:
- Feng, J., Wang, T., Shi, W., Zhang, S., Sullivan, D.,
Auwaerter, P. G., & Zhang, Y. (2014). Identification of novel activity
against Borrelia burgdorferi persisters using an FDA approved drug library. Emerging
Microbes & Infections, 3(1), 1-8. doi:10.1038/emi.2014.53
- Miklossy, J., Kasas, S., Zurn, A. D., Mccall, S., Yu, S.,
& Mcgeer, P. L. (2008). Persisting atypical and cystic forms of Borrelia
burgdorferi and local inflammation in Lyme neuroborreliosis. Journal of
Neuroinflammation, 5(1), 40. doi:10.1186/1742-2094-5-40
To learn more about PTLDS, visit Medline Plus at this link:
This post was edited by C. Fisher