RNA-Seq-based analysis of changes in XXXX gene expression linked to pathogenicity.

@entity3001 @entity19 @entity2069 @entity31350 @entity25974
BACKGROUND: @entity3001 is a global public health problem caused by the spirochaete @entity2069 . Our previous studies found differences in disease severity between @entity31350 - and @entity25974 SZ-infected @entity19 . We hypothesized that genes that are differentially expressed between Borrelia isolates encode bacterial factors that contribute to disease diversity. METHODS: The present study used high-throughput sequencing technology to characterize and compare the transcriptional profiles of @entity31350 and @entity25974 SZ cultured in vitro. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR was used to validate selected data from RNA-seq experiments. RESULTS: A total of 731 genes were differentially expressed between @entity31350 and @entity25974 SZ isolates, including those encoding lipoproteins and purine transport proteins. The fold difference in expression for @entity25974 SZ versus @entity31350 ranged from 22.07 to 1.01. Expression of the OspA, OspB and DbpB genes were significantly lower in @entity25974 SZ compared to @entity31350 . CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis that global changes in gene expression underlie differences in Borrelia pathogenicity. The findings also provide an empirical basis for studying the mechanism of action of specific genes as well as their potential usefulness for the diagnosis and management of @entity3001 .
