1. Wprowadzenie. 2. Borrelia burgdorferi – podstawowe informacje. 3. Kleszcz jako pasożyt. 4. Kolonizacja kleszcza przez B. burgdorferi. 5. Białka kleszcza wykorzystywane przez B. burgdorferi podczas zakażania organizmu gospodarza. 6. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Over the last decade, the incidence of tick-borne diseases has been rapidly increasing in Poland. Lyme disease cases are especially frequent. They disease in caused by Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes. The enzootic cycle of the Lyme disease pathogen involves both a mammalian host and an Ixodes tick vector. B. burgdorferi enters the tick during its feeding on an infected vertebrate. To survive in the vector and to enter the host, spirochetes utilize their lipoproteins anchored in the external bacterial membrane and tick-encoded proteins. B. burgdorferi is so well adapted to the vector that it is also capable of employing tick strategies to more effectively infect mammalian hosts.
Tick-Borrelia interaction is a very interesting and complex example of parasitism. Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon is indispensable for the development effective strategies of Lyme disease prophylactics and treatment. Here, we describe how B. burgdorferi alters gene expression depending on the tick or vertebrate environment. We also characterize the key bacterial and vector proteins necessary for spirochete for effective colonization of the tick.

1. Introduction. 2. B. burgdorferi characteristics. 3. Ticks as a parasites. 4. Tick colonization by B. burgdorferi. 5. Tick proteins exploited by B. burgdorferi during host infestation. 6. Summary