B. L. Garcia

The dual activity of BBK32: Implications for simultaneous inhibition of borrelial-specific antibody-dependent complement activation and fibronectin binding

This paper demonstrates that BBK32, a surface protein of Borreliella burgdorferi, simultaneously inhibits complement activation by binding C1r and binds fibronectin, aiding in immune evasion and dissemination.

Novel roles for pirin proteins and a 2-ketoglutarate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase ortholog in Bacteroides fragilis central metabolism and comparison of metabolic mutants susceptibility to antimicrobials metronidazole and amixicile.

This study identifies pirin proteins and their interaction with metabolic enzymes in B. fragilis, showing their role in antimicrobial susceptibility to metronidazole and amixicile.

Conformational dynamics of C1r inhibitor proteins from Lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes

This study reports the crystal structure of FbpC and uses molecular dynamics simulations to show conformational dynamics in borrelial C1r inhibitors, revealing structural plasticity in their anti-complement activity.

Outer surface lipoproteins from the Lyme disease spirochete exploit the molecular switch mechanism of the complement protease C1s

This study identifies ElpB and ElpQ as lipoproteins from Borreliella burgdorferi that inhibit the classical complement pathway by blocking C4 cleavage through exosite binding on C1s.

Lipoproteome screening of the Lyme disease agent identifies novel inhibitors of antibody-mediated complement killing

This study identifies two B. burgdorferi lipoproteins that inhibit complement C1 proteases, providing a novel mechanism for antibody-mediated complement evasion.

A structural basis for inhibition of the complement initiator protease C1r by Lyme disease spirochetes

This study identifies the structural mechanism by which BBK32 inhibits the classical complement pathway by binding and inactivating C1r.