# LYME DISEASE SPIROCHETES IN TICK ORGAN AND CELL CULTURE

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 1988 · $88,534

## Abstract

Lyme disease (LD), a tick-transmitted spirochetosis of man, is a
major public health problem.  A better understanding of the
mechanisms of transmission of the causative agent, Borrelia
burgdorferi, from wild animal reservoirs to man by ticks, or other
routes, may elucidate ways to control LD.  The objective of the
proposed work is to examine the interactions between spirochetes
and tick cells in vitro at the cellular, molecular and
ultrastructural level, with the aim to develop methods for the in
vitro propagation of vertebrate-infective spirochetes.
Spirochetes cultured in isolation will be compared with those co-
cultivated with tick cells (organ and cell cultures), as well as with
spirochetes isolated from the vector tick, Ixodes dammini.  The
ability of spirochetes in continuous culture to reacquire
infectivity in tick tissue cultures will be assessed.  The retention
of infectivity by new isolates (from tick or rodent tissue) co-
cultivated with tick cells will also be evaluated.  We will evaluate
the retention of infectivity by fresh isolates (from ticks or
vertebrate tissues) co-cultivated with tick cells.  The influence of
various culture parameters will be analyzed:  feeder cell type,
cell and spirochete density, medium composition, time of
cultivation and passage frequency.  Spirochete-tick cell
interactions will be analyzed by quantitating the adherence of
spirochetes to tick cells and the viability (infectivity/virulence) of
cell-associated and cell-free spirochetes.  Hamsters and mice will
be compared for their suitability as monitoring systems for the
infectivity and pathogenicity of the Lyme spirochete.
Immunological (immunofluorescence, ELISA), microscopical (light,
electron), biochemical (protein electrophoresis) and culture
(endpoint titration, clonal growth) procedures will be used to
detect, characterize and quantitate spirochetes in our cultures.
The cultivation of spirochetes in tick cell cultures should reveal
important information about the biology, infectivity and virulence
of the Lyme spirochete for the vertebrate and have potential
application in the etiology, epidemiology, immunology and
pharmacology of LD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158325
- **Project number:** 1R01AR037909-01A2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** KABJZBBJ4B54
- **Principal Investigator:** TIMOTHY John KURTTI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $88,534
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1988-04-01 → 1991-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158325

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158325, LYME DISEASE SPIROCHETES IN TICK ORGAN AND CELL CULTURE (1R01AR037909-01A2). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158325. Licensed CC0.

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