Serological Analysis Identifies Consequential B Cell Epitopes on the Flexible Linker and C-Terminus of Decorin Binding Protein A (DbpA) from Borrelia burgdorferi

Decorin binding protein A (DbpA) is a surface adhesin of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. While DbpA is one of the most immunogenic of B. burgdorferi’s nearly 100 lipoproteins, the B cell epitopes on DbpA recognized by humans following B. burgdorferi infection have not been fully elucidated. In this report we profiled ~270 B. burgdorferi-seropositive human serum samples for IgM and IgG reactivity with a tiled DbpA 18-mer peptide array derived from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto strains B31 and 297. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and multiplex immunoassays (MIA), we identified 12 DbpA-derived peptides whose antibody reactivities were significantly elevated (generally <10-fold) in B. burgdorferi-seropositive sera, compared to those measured in a healthy cohort. The most reactive peptide (>80-fold IgG, 10-fold IgM) corresponded to residues 64 to 81, which map to an exposed flexible loop between DbpA’s α-helix 1 and α-helix 2. This loop, whose sequence is identical between strains B31 and 297, overhangs DbpA’s substrate binding pocket. A second strongly reactive antibody target (>80-fold IgG, 3 to 5-fold IgM) mapped to DbpA’s C-terminus, a lysine rich tail implicated in attachment to glycosaminoglycans. We postulate that antibody responses against these two targets on DbpA could limit B.burgdorferi’s ability to attach to and colonize distal tissues during the early stages of infection. IMPORTANCE The bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the most reported tick-borne illness in the United States. In humans, clinical manifestations of Lyme disease are complex and can persist for months, even in the face of a robust antibody response directed against numerous B. burgdorferi surface proteins, including decorin binding protein A (DbpA), which is involved in the early stages of infection. In this study we employed ~270 serum samples from B. burgdorferi-seropositive individuals to better understand human antibody reactivity to specific regions (called epitopes) of DbpA and how such antibodies may function in limiting B. burgdorferi dissemination and tissue colonization.