Skip to content
naulon

No retraction, correction or concern found when last checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Antigenic Variation in Vector-Borne Pathogens

Alan G. Barbour, Blanca I. Restrepo

Emerging Infectious Diseases · 2000 · Review

doi:10.3201/eid0605.000502

Abstract

Several pathogens of humans and domestic animals depend on hematophagous arthropods to transmit them from one vertebrate reservoir host to another and maintain them in an environment. These pathogens use antigenic variation to prolong their circulation in the blood and thus increase the likelihood of transmission. By convergent evolution, bacterial and protozoal vector-borne pathogens have acquired similar genetic mechanisms for successful antigenic variation. Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma marginale (among bacteria) and African trypanosomes, Plasmodium falciparum, and Babesia bovis (among parasites) are examples of pathogens using these mechanisms. Antigenic variation poses a challenge in the development of vaccines against vector-borne pathogens.

References 57

  1. 1.

    Allred D. R., Carlton J. M., Satcher R. L., Long J. A., Brown W. C., Patterson P. E., O'Connor R. M., Stroup S. E. The ves multigene family of B. bovis encodes components of rapid antigenic variation at the infected erythrocyte surface. Mol Cell. 2000;5(1):153-162.

    Not in our library10.1016/s1097-2765(00)80411-6

  2. 2.

    Allred D. R., Cinque R. M., Lane T. J., Ahrens K. P. Antigenic variation of parasite-derived antigens on the surface of Babesia bovis-infected erythrocytes. Infect Immun. 1994;62(1):91-98.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.62.1.91-98.1994

  3. 3.

    Baltz T., Giroud C., Bringaud F., Eisen H., Jacquemot C., Roth C. W. Exposed epitopes on a Trypanosoma equiperdum variant surface glycoprotein altered by point mutations. EMBO J. 1991;10(7):1653-1659.

    Not in our library10.1002/j.1460-2075.1991.tb07688.x

  4. 4.

    Barbour A. G., Burman N., Carter C. J., Kitten T., Bergström S. Variable antigen genes of the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii are activated by promoter addition. Mol Microbiol. 1991;5(2):489-493.

    Not in our library10.1111/j.1365-2958.1991.tb02132.x

  5. 5.

    Barbour A. G., Hayes S. F. Biology of Borrelia species. Microbiol Rev. 1986;50(4):381-400.

    Not in our library10.1128/mr.50.4.381-400.1986

  6. 6.

    Barbour A. G. Linear DNA of Borrelia species and antigenic variation. Trends Microbiol. 1993;1(6):236-239.

    Not in our library10.1016/0966-842x(93)90139-i

  7. 7.

    Barbour A. G., Tessier S. L., Stoenner H. G. Variable major proteins of Borrellia hermsii. J Exp Med. 1982;156(5):1312-1324.

    Not in our library10.1084/jem.156.5.1312

  8. 8.

    Barbour A. G., Tessier S. L., Todd W. J. Lyme disease spirochetes and ixodid tick spirochetes share a common surface antigenic determinant defined by a monoclonal antibody. Infect Immun. 1983;41(2):795-804.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.41.2.795-804.1983

  9. 9.

    Baruch D. I., Pasloske B. L., Singh H. B., Bi X., Ma X. C., Feldman M., Taraschi T. F., Howard R. J. Cloning the P. falciparum gene encoding PfEMP1, a malarial variant antigen and adherence receptor on the surface of parasitized human erythrocytes. Cell. 1995;82(1):77-87.

    Not in our library10.1016/0092-8674(95)90054-3

  10. 10.

    Bitter W., Gerrits H., Kieft R., Borst P. The role of transferrin-receptor variation in the host range of Trypanosoma brucei. Nature. 1998;391(6666):499-502.

    Not in our library10.1038/35166

  11. 11.

    Burman N., Bergström S., Restrepo B. I., Barbour A. G. The variable antigens Vmp7 and Vmp21 of the relapsing fever bacterium Borrelia hermsii are structurally analogous to the VSG proteins of the African trypanosome. Mol Microbiol. 1990;4(10):1715-1726.

    Not in our library10.1111/j.1365-2958.1990.tb00549.x

  12. 12.

    Cadavid D., Thomas D. D., Crawley R., Barbour A. G. Variability of a bacterial surface protein and disease expression in a possible mouse model of systemic Lyme borreliosis. J Exp Med. 1994;179(2):631-642.

    Not in our library10.1084/jem.179.2.631

  13. 13.

    Carter C. J., Bergström S., Norris S. J., Barbour A. G. A family of surface-exposed proteins of 20 kilodaltons in the genus Borrelia. Infect Immun. 1994;62(7):2792-2799.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.62.7.2792-2799.1994

  14. 14.

    Chen Q., Fernandez V., Sundström A., Schlichtherle M., Datta S., Hagblom P., Wahlgren M. Developmental selection of var gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum. Nature. 1998;394(6691):392-395.

    Not in our library10.1038/28660

  15. 15.

    Deitsch K. W., Moxon E. R., Wellems T. E. Shared themes of antigenic variation and virulence in bacterial, protozoal, and fungal infections. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 1997;61(3):281-293.

    Not in our library10.1128/mmbr.61.3.281-293.1997

  16. 16.

    Fernandez V., Hommel M., Chen Q., Hagblom P., Wahlgren M. Small, clonally variant antigens expressed on the surface of the Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocyte are encoded by the rif gene family and are the target of human immune responses. J Exp Med. 1999;190(10):1393-1404.

    Not in our library10.1084/jem.190.10.1393

  17. 17.

    French D. M., Brown W. C., Palmer G. H. Emergence of Anaplasma marginale antigenic variants during persistent rickettsemia. Infect Immun. 1999;67(11):5834-5840.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.67.11.5834-5840.1999

  18. 18.

    Gardner J. P., Pinches R. A., Roberts D. J., Newbold C. I. Variant antigens and endothelial receptor adhesion in Plasmodium falciparum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996;93(8):3503-3508.

    Not in our library10.1073/pnas.93.8.3503

  19. 19.

    Hernandez-Rivas R., Mattei D., Sterkers Y., Peterson D. S., Wellems T. E., Scherf A. Expressed var genes are found in Plasmodium falciparum subtelomeric regions. Mol Cell Biol. 1997;17(2):604-611.

    Not in our library10.1128/mcb.17.2.604

  20. 20.

    Hinnebusch B. J., Barbour A. G., Restrepo B. I., Schwan T. G. Population structure of the relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia hermsii as indicated by polymorphism of two multigene families that encode immunogenic outer surface lipoproteins. Infect Immun. 1998;66(2):432-440.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.66.2.432-440.1998

  21. 21.

    Jonsson M., Noppa L., Barbour A. G., Bergström S. Heterogeneity of outer membrane proteins in Borrelia burgdorferi: comparison of osp operons of three isolates of different geographic origins. Infect Immun. 1992;60(5):1845-1853.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.60.5.1845-1853.1992

  22. 22.

    Kieser S. T., Eriks I. S., Palmer G. H. Cyclic rickettsemia during persistent Anaplasma marginale infection of cattle. Infect Immun. 1990;58(4):1117-1119.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.58.4.1117-1119.1990

  23. 23.

    Kitten T., Barbour A. G. Juxtaposition of expressed variable antigen genes with a conserved telomere in the bacterium Borrelia hermsii. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990;87(16):6077-6081.

    Not in our library10.1073/pnas.87.16.6077

  24. 24.

    Kitten T., Barrera A. V., Barbour A. G. Intragenic recombination and a chimeric outer membrane protein in the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii. J Bacteriol. 1993;175(9):2516-2522.

    Not in our library10.1128/jb.175.9.2516-2522.1993

  25. 25.
  26. 26.

    Lamont G. S., Tucker R. S., Cross G. A. Analysis of antigen switching rates in Trypanosoma brucei. Parasitology. 1986;92(Pt 2):355-367.

    Not in our library10.1017/s003118200006412x

  27. 27.

    Lips S., Revelard P., Pays E. Identification of a new expression site-associated gene in the complete 30.5 kb sequence from the AnTat 1.3A variant surface protein gene expression site of Trypanosoma brucei. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1993;62(1):135-137.

    Not in our library10.1016/0166-6851(93)90189-5

  28. 28.

    McCulloch R., Barry J. D. A role for RAD51 and homologous recombination in Trypanosoma brucei antigenic variation. Genes Dev. 1999;13(21):2875-2888.

    Not in our library10.1101/gad.13.21.2875

  29. 29.

    O'Connor R. M., Allred D. R. Selection of Babesia bovis-infected erythrocytes for adhesion to endothelial cells coselects for altered variant erythrocyte surface antigen isoforms. J Immunol. 2000;164(4):2037-2045.

    Not in our library10.4049/jimmunol.164.4.2037

  30. 30.

    O'Connor R. M., Lane T. J., Stroup S. E., Allred D. R. Characterization of a variant erythrocyte surface antigen (VESA1) expressed by Babesia bovis during antigenic variation. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1997;89(2):259-270.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0166-6851(97)00125-4

  31. 31.

    Palmer G. H., Abbott J. R., French D. M., McElwain T. F. Persistence of Anaplasma ovis infection and conservation of the msp-2 and msp-3 multigene families within the genus Anaplasma. Infect Immun. 1998;66(12):6035-6039.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.66.12.6035-6039.1998

  32. 32.

    Pays E., Tebabi P., Pays A., Coquelet H., Revelard P., Salmon D., Steinert M. The genes and transcripts of an antigen gene expression site from T. brucei. Cell. 1989;57(5):835-845.

    Not in our library10.1016/0092-8674(89)90798-8

  33. 33.

    Penningon P. M., Cadavid D., Bunikis J., Norris S. J., Barbour A. G. Extensive interplasmidic duplications change the virulence phenotype of the relapsing fever agent Borrelia turicatae. Mol Microbiol. 1999;34(5):1120-1132.

    Not in our library10.1046/j.1365-2958.1999.01675.x

  34. 34.

    Pennington P. M., Allred C. D., West C. S., Alvarez R., Barbour A. G. Arthritis severity and spirochete burden are determined by serotype in the Borrelia turicatae-mouse model of Lyme disease. Infect Immun. 1997;65(1):285-292.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.65.1.285-292.1997

  35. 35.

    Restrepo B. I., Barbour A. G. Antigen diversity in the bacterium B. hermsii through "somatic" mutations in rearranged vmp genes. Cell. 1994;78(5):867-876.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0092-8674(94)90642-4

  36. 36.

    Restrepo B. I., Carter C. J., Barbour A. G. Activation of a vmp pseudogene in Borrelia hermsii: an alternate mechanism of antigenic variation during relapsing fever. Mol Microbiol. 1994;13(2):287-299.

    Not in our library10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb00423.x

  37. 37.

    Restrepo B. I., Kitten T., Carter C. J., Infante D., Barbour A. G. Subtelomeric expression regions of Borrelia hermsii linear plasmids are highly polymorphic. Mol Microbiol. 1992;6(22):3299-3311.

    Not in our library10.1111/j.1365-2958.1992.tb02198.x

  38. 38.

    Roberts D. J., Craig A. G., Berendt A. R., Pinches R., Nash G., Marsh K., Newbold C. I. Rapid switching to multiple antigenic and adhesive phenotypes in malaria. Nature. 1992;357(6380):689-692.

    Not in our library10.1038/357689a0

  39. 39.

    Rudenko G., Blundell P. A., Dirks-Mulder A., Kieft R., Borst P. A ribosomal DNA promoter replacing the promoter of a telomeric VSG gene expression site can be efficiently switched on and off in T. brucei. Cell. 1995;83(4):547-553.

    Not in our library10.1016/0092-8674(95)90094-2

  40. 40.

    Rudenko G., Cross M., Borst P. Changing the end: antigenic variation orchestrated at the telomeres of African trypanosomes. Trends Microbiol. 1998;6(3):113-116.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0966-842x(97)01200-6

  41. 41.

    Scherf A., Hernandez-Rivas R., Buffet P., Bottius E., Benatar C., Pouvelle B., Gysin J., Lanzer M. Antigenic variation in malaria: in situ switching, relaxed and mutually exclusive transcription of var genes during intra-erythrocytic development in Plasmodium falciparum. EMBO J. 1998;17(18):5418-5426.

    Not in our library10.1093/emboj/17.18.5418

  42. 42.

    Shamaei-Tousi A., Martin P., Bergh A., Burman N., Brännström T., Bergström S. Erythrocyte-aggregating relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia crocidurae induces formation of microemboli. J Infect Dis. 1999;180(6):1929-1938.

    Not in our library10.1086/315118

  43. 43.

    Smith J. D., Chitnis C. E., Craig A. G., Roberts D. J., Hudson-Taylor D. E., Peterson D. S., Pinches R., Newbold C. I., Miller L. H. Switches in expression of Plasmodium falciparum var genes correlate with changes in antigenic and cytoadherent phenotypes of infected erythrocytes. Cell. 1995;82(1):101-110.

    Not in our library10.1016/0092-8674(95)90056-x

  44. 44.

    Stevenson B., Bockenstedt L. K., Barthold S. W. Expression and gene sequence of outer surface protein C of Borrelia burgdorferi reisolated from chronically infected mice. Infect Immun. 1994;62(8):3568-3571.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.62.8.3568-3571.1994

  45. 45.

    Stoenner H. G., Dodd T., Larsen C. Antigenic variation of Borrelia hermsii. J Exp Med. 1982;156(5):1297-1311.

    Not in our library10.1084/jem.156.5.1297

  46. 46.

    Su X. Z., Heatwole V. M., Wertheimer S. P., Guinet F., Herrfeldt J. A., Peterson D. S., Ravetch J. A., Wellems T. E. The large diverse gene family var encodes proteins involved in cytoadherence and antigenic variation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Cell. 1995;82(1):89-100.

    Not in our library10.1016/0092-8674(95)90055-1

  47. 47.

    Sulsona C. R., Mahan S. M., Barbet A. F. The map1 gene of Cowdria ruminantium is a member of a multigene family containing both conserved and variable genes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1999;257(2):300-305.

    Not in our library10.1006/bbrc.1999.0459

  48. 48.

    Turner C. M. The rate of antigenic variation in fly-transmitted and syringe-passaged infections of Trypanosoma brucei. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1997;153(1):227-231.

    Not in our library10.1111/j.1574-6968.1997.tb10486.x

  49. 49.

    Vickerman K. Trypanosome sociology and antigenic variation. Parasitology. 1989;99(Suppl):S37-S47.

    Not in our library10.1017/s0031182000083402

  50. 50.

    Vidal V., Scragg I. G., Cutler S. J., Rockett K. A., Fekade D., Warrell D. A., Wright D. J., Kwiatkowski D. Variable major lipoprotein is a principal TNF-inducing factor of louse-borne relapsing fever. Nat Med. 1998;4(12):1416-1420.

    Not in our library10.1038/4007

  51. 51.

    Wang I. N., Dykhuizen D. E., Qiu W., Dunn J. J., Bosler E. M., Luft B. J. Genetic diversity of ospC in a local population of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Genetics. 1999;151(1):15-30.

    Not in our library10.1093/genetics/151.1.15

  52. 52.

    Zhang J. R., Hardham J. M., Barbour A. G., Norris S. J. Antigenic variation in Lyme disease borreliae by promiscuous recombination of VMP-like sequence cassettes. Cell. 1997;89(2):275-285.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80206-8

  53. 53.

    Zhang J. R., Norris S. J. Kinetics and in vivo induction of genetic variation of vlsE in Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect Immun. 1998;66(8):3689-3697.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.66.8.3689-3697.1998

  54. 54.

    Zhi N., Ohashi N., Rikihisa Y. Multiple p44 genes encoding major outer membrane proteins are expressed in the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent. J Biol Chem. 1999;274(25):17828-17836.

    Not in our library10.1074/jbc.274.25.17828

  55. 55.

    Zückert W. R., Meyer J., Barbour A. G. Comparative analysis and immunological characterization of the Borrelia Bdr protein family. Infect Immun. 1999;67(7):3257-3266.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.67.7.3257-3266.1999

  56. 56.

    de Silva A. M., Zeidner N. S., Zhang Y., Dolan M. C., Piesman J., Fikrig E. Influence of outer surface protein A antibody on Borrelia burgdorferi within feeding ticks. Infect Immun. 1999;67(1):30-35.

    Not in our library10.1128/iai.67.1.30-35.1999

  57. 57.

    de la Vega I., González A., Blasco R., Calvo V., Viñuela E. Nucleotide sequence and variability of the inverted terminal repetitions of African swine fever virus DNA. Virology. 1994;201(1):152-156.

    Not in our library10.1006/viro.1994.1277

Cited by papers we hold 3

Reads

Read by people on this page

None yet.

Checked or read by AI through naulon

None yet.

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.

Are you an author?

Is this your paper?

Claim it to add your note and be paid when agents cite it. Free.