Suffolk Reporter

After years of research, an international team of scientists has unraveled the genetic makeup of 47 strains of known and potential Lyme disease-causing bacteria. The work aims to improve diagnostic tests and targeted treatments against Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease. The team's findings are published in the journal mBio.

Lyme disease affects hundreds of thousands each year, with nearly 500,000 cases annually in the United States alone. If untreated, it can spread to joints, the heart, and nervous system causing severe complications. Researchers warn that climate change and other environmental factors may increase Lyme disease cases worldwide. Some genetically sequenced Borrelia species that do not currently cause disease could potentially evolve into harmful strains.

"This is a seminal study with not only new genetic findings that map out the genomes of 47 strains of Borrelia," says Benjamin Luft, MD, Professor at Stony Brook University. "It provides researchers with data and tools going forward to better tailor treatment against all causes of Lyme disease."

The research team included investigators from over a dozen institutions globally. They sequenced complete genomes representing all 23-known species in the group, many for the first time. This included multiple strains commonly associated with human infections and species not previously known to cause human diseases.

By comparing these genomes, researchers traced the evolutionary history of Lyme disease bacteria back millions of years to before Pangea's breakup. This helps explain their current worldwide distribution.

The study also revealed how these bacteria exchange genetic material within and between species through recombination. This allows rapid evolution and adaptation to new environments. Researchers identified specific hot spots where this genetic exchange occurs frequently.

"By understanding how these bacteria evolve and exchange genetic material," explains Weigang Qiu, PhD from City University of New York, "we're better equipped to predict and respond to changes in their behavior."

To support ongoing research, the team developed web-based software (BorreliaBase.org) enabling scientists to compare Borrelia genomes and identify determinants of human pathogenicity.

Future collaborative research includes expanding genome analysis to more strains from understudied regions and investigating genes unique to disease-causing strains for new therapeutic targets.

The research was funded primarily by NIH’s National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) along with support from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.

Twenty authors contributed to this paper including Dr. Luft. Leading collaborators include Sherwood Casjens (University of Utah), Weigang Qiu (City University of New York), Steven Schutzer (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School), Claire Fraser and Emmanuel Mongodin (University of Maryland School of Medicine), and Richard G. Morgan (New England BioLabs).