Award
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 5R01AI170892-04
Cyclic di-AMP-dependent signaling in tickborne relapsing fever Borrelia
Recipient
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, LITTLE ROCK, AR, United States
Award Amount
$591,178.00
Ceiling
$591,178.00
Awarded
August 05, 2025
Identifier
5R01AI170892-04
Research project funded by NIAID to study the role of c-di-AMP signaling in tickborne relapsing fever Borrelia, aiming to understand bacterial adaptation and identify targets for therapeutics.
Description
This project aims to test the role of the c-di-AMP signaling pathway in promoting adaptation of tickborne relapsing fever spirochetes to different host environments encountered during their natural lifecycle. The study will inactivate components of the c-di-AMP signaling system in Borrelia turicatae and define their roles in messenger molecule production, physiology, pathogenesis, and vector colonization/transmission. The findings will provide critical knowledge of regulatory networks controlling bacterial adaptation and identify virulence determinants as potential targets for future therapeutics and diagnostics.