Brian Stevenson Ph.D. spirochete lab
@bstevensonlab.bsky.social
Mostly about bacterial gene/protein regulation & function, esp. with Borrelia burgdorferi and Lyme disease. Professor at U Kentucky, views are my own. He/him
Lab= http://microscopist.net/Stevenson_Lab.html
UK= https://medicine.uky.edu/users/bstev0
Lab= http://microscopist.net/Stevenson_Lab.html
UK= https://medicine.uky.edu/users/bstev0
Pinned
Matters Microbial #31: Spirochetes do things...differently
Today, Dr. Brian Stevenson of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss a twisty twirling form of life, spirochetes,...
m.youtube.com
Recently interviewed by Mark Martin for his “Matters Microbial” podcast!
m.youtube.com/watch?si=O6w...
m.youtube.com/watch?si=O6w...
Congratulations!!
February 10, 2026 at 2:01 AM
Congratulations!!
Borrelia mayonii induces carditis but not arthritis in Lyme-susceptible mice
from Cleveland, Wijetunga, Casselli, Tourand, Pecoraro, and Brissette
@brissettelab.bsky.social
www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm...
#MicroSky
from Cleveland, Wijetunga, Casselli, Tourand, Pecoraro, and Brissette
@brissettelab.bsky.social
www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm...
#MicroSky
February 9, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Borrelia mayonii induces carditis but not arthritis in Lyme-susceptible mice
from Cleveland, Wijetunga, Casselli, Tourand, Pecoraro, and Brissette
@brissettelab.bsky.social
www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm...
#MicroSky
from Cleveland, Wijetunga, Casselli, Tourand, Pecoraro, and Brissette
@brissettelab.bsky.social
www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm...
#MicroSky
The again, in the USA, I never order tea at restaurants. It is always a stale teabag soaking in lukewarm water 🤢
February 7, 2026 at 7:07 PM
The again, in the USA, I never order tea at restaurants. It is always a stale teabag soaking in lukewarm water 🤢
When visiting relatives in the UK, I’ve learned never to accept an offer of “coffee”. It is invariably instant coffee 🤢
February 7, 2026 at 7:05 PM
When visiting relatives in the UK, I’ve learned never to accept an offer of “coffee”. It is invariably instant coffee 🤢
Starvation-independent alarmone production inhibits translation through GTP depletion in Bacillus
#MicroSky
#MicroSky
Starvation-independent alarmone production inhibits translation through GTP depletion https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.12.699007v1
February 7, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Starvation-independent alarmone production inhibits translation through GTP depletion in Bacillus
#MicroSky
#MicroSky
You're not that much younger, me lad!
a group of older men are sitting around a table and one of them is saying i feel younger
ALT: a group of older men are sitting around a table and one of them is saying i feel younger
media.tenor.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:24 PM
You're not that much younger, me lad!
Seema Mattoo on Bordetella pertussis and whooping cough!
Matters Microbial,
@mattoolab.bsky.social
@markowenmartin.bsky.social
#MicroSky
Matters Microbial,
@mattoolab.bsky.social
@markowenmartin.bsky.social
#MicroSky
New from Matters Microbial— episode 123: What Whooping Cough Can Teach Us
Dr. Seema Mattoo joins @markowenmartin.bsky.social to discuss the fascinating molecular genetics of the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which can cause the human disease whooping cough. 🔗⬇️
Dr. Seema Mattoo joins @markowenmartin.bsky.social to discuss the fascinating molecular genetics of the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which can cause the human disease whooping cough. 🔗⬇️
Matters Microbial #123: What Whooping Cough Can Teach US
YouTube video by MicrobeTV
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Seema Mattoo on Bordetella pertussis and whooping cough!
Matters Microbial,
@mattoolab.bsky.social
@markowenmartin.bsky.social
#MicroSky
Matters Microbial,
@mattoolab.bsky.social
@markowenmartin.bsky.social
#MicroSky
Need the extra fabric to extend below the crotch, between the legs. Not poking out front, where it would create drag
a man making a face in front of a sign that says forever star
ALT: a man making a face in front of a sign that says forever star
media.tenor.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Need the extra fabric to extend below the crotch, between the legs. Not poking out front, where it would create drag
Postdoc memories (sort of)
"Green Light", 1937, is partially set in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana, deals with tick-borne disease. It includes shots of my old lab home at Rocky Mountain Labs, Hamilton. The lab itself looks almost identical to when I was there, 1994-1998. The film stars Errol Flynn.
"Green Light", 1937, is partially set in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana, deals with tick-borne disease. It includes shots of my old lab home at Rocky Mountain Labs, Hamilton. The lab itself looks almost identical to when I was there, 1994-1998. The film stars Errol Flynn.
February 6, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Postdoc memories (sort of)
"Green Light", 1937, is partially set in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana, deals with tick-borne disease. It includes shots of my old lab home at Rocky Mountain Labs, Hamilton. The lab itself looks almost identical to when I was there, 1994-1998. The film stars Errol Flynn.
"Green Light", 1937, is partially set in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana, deals with tick-borne disease. It includes shots of my old lab home at Rocky Mountain Labs, Hamilton. The lab itself looks almost identical to when I was there, 1994-1998. The film stars Errol Flynn.
Perhaps.
Need to study expression patterns of the multiple ospC loci. Are all functional?
Need to study expression patterns of the multiple ospC loci. Are all functional?
February 6, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Perhaps.
Need to study expression patterns of the multiple ospC loci. Are all functional?
Need to study expression patterns of the multiple ospC loci. Are all functional?
See also:
Distribution of cp32 Prophages among Lyme Disease-Causing Spirochetes and Natural Diversity of Their Lipoprotein-Encoding erp Loci
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
Distribution of cp32 Prophages among Lyme Disease-Causing Spirochetes and Natural Diversity of Their Lipoprotein-Encoding erp Loci
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
![Neighbor-joining tree of the ParA-like proteins encoded on cp32 elements. The tree was constructed from all the proteins encoded by the parA-like genes of the cp32s of the sequenced B. burgdorferi sensu lato genomes and those known from strains CA15, Sh-2-82, and Far04. Numbers on the tree branches are bootstrap support values from 1,000 trials. Blue and yellow boxes highlight the different sequence types (tree branches) for the cp32 ParA proteins. These types correlate with episomes named in large red type. The species which harbored each cp32 are indicated by the color of the strain name at the right branch tips (see color key in upper left of figure). The DN127 protein labeled DN127frag in the cp32-12 branch is a ParA fragment from the DN127 cp32-Quad element. All the replicons in the figure carry highly related complements of non-partition cluster genes, except for seven “lp32” plasmids, noted by a pink background in the figure, which encode cp32-like ParA proteins but do not carry erp sequences (these will be described elsewhere [S. Casjens, unpublished data]). Replicon cp26 is an unrelated, universally present circular “plasmid” and is shown only for reference. Bar, 0.05 fractional change.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:zkwpb72k3iprtdiwyactgsjr/bafkreig42jj6wwokdbw5a6uuh65xcozmno5ub7fh7wlpicwlsez2rskevy@jpeg)
February 5, 2026 at 5:07 PM
See also:
Distribution of cp32 Prophages among Lyme Disease-Causing Spirochetes and Natural Diversity of Their Lipoprotein-Encoding erp Loci
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
Distribution of cp32 Prophages among Lyme Disease-Causing Spirochetes and Natural Diversity of Their Lipoprotein-Encoding erp Loci
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
DN127, also for California, has a plasmid that consists of 4 different cp32s!
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
Whole-Genome Sequences of Borrelia bissettii, Borrelia valaisiana, and Borrelia spielmanii | Journal of Bacteriology
ABSTRACT It has been known for decades that human Lyme disease is caused by the three spirochete
species Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. Recently, Borrelia valaisiana, Bo...
journals.asm.org
February 5, 2026 at 5:05 PM
DN127, also for California, has a plasmid that consists of 4 different cp32s!
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#MicroSky
Because every reviewer should think that MY proposal is the best ever, and should give it a really good score!
a girl in a red dress is standing in front of a scale that says good on it
ALT: a girl in a red dress is standing in front of a scale that says good on it
media.tenor.com
February 5, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Because every reviewer should think that MY proposal is the best ever, and should give it a really good score!
Comparative genomics of Borrelia lusitaniae
Complete genome sequences of three isolates. Each has very few plasmids. A most unusual feature is that their important cp26 plasmids are partially degraded dimers, carrying multiple, distinct ospC genes.
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
#MicroSky
Complete genome sequences of three isolates. Each has very few plasmids. A most unusual feature is that their important cp26 plasmids are partially degraded dimers, carrying multiple, distinct ospC genes.
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
#MicroSky
Comparative genomics of Borrelia lusitaniae
Abstract. Human Lyme disease is a frequent tick-borne human disease that is caused by several species in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (BBSL) clade o
academic.oup.com
February 5, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Comparative genomics of Borrelia lusitaniae
Complete genome sequences of three isolates. Each has very few plasmids. A most unusual feature is that their important cp26 plasmids are partially degraded dimers, carrying multiple, distinct ospC genes.
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
#MicroSky
Complete genome sequences of three isolates. Each has very few plasmids. A most unusual feature is that their important cp26 plasmids are partially degraded dimers, carrying multiple, distinct ospC genes.
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
#MicroSky
The new US budget includes funding for the Tick-Borne Disease Research Program of the CDMRP.
Details on the program and requests for applications to be announced soon.
cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2...
#MicroSky
Details on the program and requests for applications to be announced soon.
cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2...
#MicroSky
February 5, 2026 at 4:05 PM
The new US budget includes funding for the Tick-Borne Disease Research Program of the CDMRP.
Details on the program and requests for applications to be announced soon.
cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2...
#MicroSky
Details on the program and requests for applications to be announced soon.
cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2...
#MicroSky
Leptospira interrogans produces effectors, structurally related to toxin-like proteins, that modulate calcium homeostasis and disrupt cell-cell junctions, thereby allowing translocation across epithelium barriers, tissue colonization and pathogenicity.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41634022/
#MicroSky
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41634022/
#MicroSky
February 4, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Leptospira interrogans produces effectors, structurally related to toxin-like proteins, that modulate calcium homeostasis and disrupt cell-cell junctions, thereby allowing translocation across epithelium barriers, tissue colonization and pathogenicity.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41634022/
#MicroSky
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41634022/
#MicroSky
A 5500-year-old Treponema pallidum genome from Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia
"This genome falls outside of known T. pallidum lineages today, but it has many genetic hallmarks associated with virulence in modern pathogens of these subspecies"
Science
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41570125/
#MicroSky
"This genome falls outside of known T. pallidum lineages today, but it has many genetic hallmarks associated with virulence in modern pathogens of these subspecies"
Science
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41570125/
#MicroSky
February 3, 2026 at 5:21 PM
A 5500-year-old Treponema pallidum genome from Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia
"This genome falls outside of known T. pallidum lineages today, but it has many genetic hallmarks associated with virulence in modern pathogens of these subspecies"
Science
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41570125/
#MicroSky
"This genome falls outside of known T. pallidum lineages today, but it has many genetic hallmarks associated with virulence in modern pathogens of these subspecies"
Science
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41570125/
#MicroSky
Congratulations!
February 2, 2026 at 8:56 PM
Congratulations!
I don't know who has won the most trivia nights. We only hear the complaints of those who never win (Linden!). And can confirm that the spirochete researcher who raked in $$$ on Jeopardy has never yet won a trivia night!
February 2, 2026 at 7:15 PM
I don't know who has won the most trivia nights. We only hear the complaints of those who never win (Linden!). And can confirm that the spirochete researcher who raked in $$$ on Jeopardy has never yet won a trivia night!
It's a shame that research has continued to focus on OspA, instead of new approaches with targets that are produced during mammalian infection and that take advantage of the anamnestic response.
Like all other vaccines.
Like all other vaccines.
February 2, 2026 at 6:58 PM
It's a shame that research has continued to focus on OspA, instead of new approaches with targets that are produced during mammalian infection and that take advantage of the anamnestic response.
Like all other vaccines.
Like all other vaccines.
The old and upcoming human vaccines, and the current animal OspA vaccines, work only if the blood has a high titer of anti-OspA antibodies at the time of tick bite. Which is a fairly narrow window of time. When titers decline, the vaccine is not protective.
February 2, 2026 at 6:56 PM
The old and upcoming human vaccines, and the current animal OspA vaccines, work only if the blood has a high titer of anti-OspA antibodies at the time of tick bite. Which is a fairly narrow window of time. When titers decline, the vaccine is not protective.
And so the major surface protein in cultured B. burgdorferi, OspA, was thought to be a major antigen during mammalian infection. Leading to development of vaccines based on OspA. In truth, OspA is not produced during mammalian infection.
February 2, 2026 at 6:53 PM
And so the major surface protein in cultured B. burgdorferi, OspA, was thought to be a major antigen during mammalian infection. Leading to development of vaccines based on OspA. In truth, OspA is not produced during mammalian infection.
Borrelia burgdorferi receive a mix of signals from culture medium. So they simultaneously produce tick-specific and mammal-specific proteins.
And do not produce some mammal-specific proteins in culture, such as CspZ (which is showing promise as a vaccine)
And do not produce some mammal-specific proteins in culture, such as CspZ (which is showing promise as a vaccine)
February 2, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Borrelia burgdorferi receive a mix of signals from culture medium. So they simultaneously produce tick-specific and mammal-specific proteins.
And do not produce some mammal-specific proteins in culture, such as CspZ (which is showing promise as a vaccine)
And do not produce some mammal-specific proteins in culture, such as CspZ (which is showing promise as a vaccine)
For example, initial approaches to developing a Lyme vaccine were naive, and did not consider that the bacteria are living organisms that adapt to their environments.
Importantly, the protein profile in culture does not correspond with expression levels at any point in the natural infectious cycle.
Importantly, the protein profile in culture does not correspond with expression levels at any point in the natural infectious cycle.
February 2, 2026 at 6:48 PM
For example, initial approaches to developing a Lyme vaccine were naive, and did not consider that the bacteria are living organisms that adapt to their environments.
Importantly, the protein profile in culture does not correspond with expression levels at any point in the natural infectious cycle.
Importantly, the protein profile in culture does not correspond with expression levels at any point in the natural infectious cycle.