Maternal antibodies provide strain-specific protection against infection with the Lyme disease pathogen in bank voles.

Author:

Gomez-Chamorro, A, Heinrich, V, Sarr, A, Roethlisberger, O, Genne, D, Bregnard, C, Jacquet, M, and Voordouw, M

Publication type:

Journal Article

Publication date:

2019-09

Journal/Series title:

Appl Environ Microbiol

URL:

https://aem.asm.org/content/early/2019/09/17/AEM.01887-19.long

Abstract:

We found that female bank voles infected with B. afzelii transmitted maternal antibodies to their offspring that provided highly efficient but strain-specific protection against a natural tick bite challenge. Trans-generational transfer of antibodies could be a mechanism that maintains high strain diversity of this tick-borne pathogen in nature.