Contribution of the Infection-Associated Complement Regulator-Acquiring Surface Protein 4 (ErpC) to Complement Resistance of Borrelia burgdorferi

Figure 6

Deposition of complement components C3 and C6, and MAC on the surface of borrelial strains. Deposition of complement components on B. burgdorferi LW2 (control strain), B. garinii G1 and transformant G1/pCRASP-4 were detected by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Spirochetes were incubated with 25% NHS. Bound C3, C6, or MAC was detected using specific antibodies against each component plus appropriate Alexa-488-conjugated secondary antibodies. For visualization of intact spirochetes, the DNA-binding dye DAPI was used. Slides were visualized at a magnification of ×1,000 and the data were recorded via a DS-5Mc CCD camera (Nikon) mounted on an Olympus CX40 fluorescence microscope. Panels shown are representative of at least 20 microscope fields.