Fig. 5.
Decorin- and GAG-binding levels vary among DbpA alleles. Radiolabeled B314 spirochetes expressing the indicated DbpA allele were added to wells coated with increasing concentrations of decorin or dermatan sulfate, and the percentage of bacteria stably bound was determined. Analysis of B314 expressing DbpAB31 was performed in a separate experiment in which the binding by B314 strains expressing DbpAPBr or no DbpA, analyzed in parallel to the controls, bound with an efficiency similar to that in the depicted experiment. Each point represents the mean of four independent determinations, with the standard error omitted for clarity. At a concentration of 1.25 mg of dermatan sulfate/ml, DbpAPBr bound to this substrate at a significantly higher percentage (P < 0.05) than both DbpA297 and DbpAB31, and the latter two strains bound at a significantly higher percentage than DbpAB356, DbpAN40, and DbpAVS461. At a concentration of 1.25 μg of decorin/ml, DbpAPBr bound at a significantly higher percentage (P < 0.05) than DbpA297,DbpAB31, and DbpAVS461, and the latter three bound at a significantly higher percentage (P < 0.05) than DbpAB356 and DbpAN40.