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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1458655
This article is part of the Research Topic Spirochetal Diseases (Syphilis, Lyme Disease, and Leptospirosis): Transmission, Pathogenesis, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Prevention, and Treatment View all 6 articles

Leptospiral adhesins: from identification to future perspectives

Provisionally accepted
Matthew C. Surdel Matthew C. Surdel 1*Jenifer Coburn Jenifer Coburn 1,2
  • 1 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
  • 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Leptospirosis is a significant zoonoses worldwide, with disease severity ranging from a mild non-specific illness to multi-organ dysfunction and hemorrhage. The disease is caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira, which are classified into pathogenic and saprophytic clades. Bacterial binding to host molecules and cells, coordinated by adhesin proteins, is an important step in pathogenesis. While many leptospiral adhesins have been identified, the vast majority have not been characterized in vivo. Herein, we present an overview of the current methodologies and successes in identifying adhesins in Leptospira, including known biological roles in vivo. We will also identify and discuss potential areas for future research.

    Keywords: Leptospira, Leptospirosis, Adhesion, adhesins, binding, Spirochete

    Received: 02 Jul 2024; Accepted: 01 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Surdel and Coburn. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Matthew C. Surdel, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.