Publications by authors named "G A Willsey"

Lyme disease is a tick-borne, multisystem infection caused by the spirochete Borreliella burgdorferi. Although Abs have been implicated in the resolution of Lyme disease, the specific B cell epitopes targeted during human infections remain largely unknown. In this study, we characterized and defined the structural epitope of a patient-derived bactericidal monoclonal IgG (B11) against outer surface protein C (OspC), a homodimeric lipoprotein necessary for B.

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Fimbriae are essential virulence factors for many bacterial pathogens. Fimbriae are extracellular structures that attach bacteria to surfaces. Thus, fimbriae mediate a critical step required for any pathogen to establish infection by anchoring a bacterium to host tissue.

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Lyme disease is a tick-borne, multisystem infection caused by the spirochete, . Although antibodies have been implicated in the resolution of Lyme disease, the specific B cell epitopes targeted during human infections remain largely unknown. In this study, we characterized and defined the structural epitope of a patient-derived bactericidal monoclonal IgG ("B11") against Outer surface protein C (OspC), a homodimeric lipoprotein necessary for tick-mediated transmission and early-stage colonization of vertebrate hosts.

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Article Synopsis
  • Camelid-derived single-domain antibodies (VHs) are effective in studying diverse surface proteins' antigenic properties, specifically in Lyme disease research.
  • Two alpacas were immunized to create a phage-displayed VH library against an important Lyme vaccine antigen, outer surface protein A (OspA), leading to the identification of 21 unique VHs.
  • The study highlights that these VHs exhibit different reactivities across various OspA serotypes, indicating the need for considering unique epitopes when developing multivalent Lyme disease vaccines.
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319-44 is a human monoclonal antibody capable of passively protecting mice against tick-mediated infection with Borreliella burgdorferi, the bacterial genospecies responsible for Lyme disease in North America. In vitro, 319-44 has complement-dependent borreliacidal activity and spirochete agglutinating properties. Here, we report the 2.

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