Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026
08:23
Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
Published on: August 31, 2013
Spatial Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Microenvironment-Dependent Immune Signatures in a Lyme Arthritis model
Kaitlyn Gura1, Mollie Hostetter1, Veena Potluri2
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 3, 2026
Summary
Spatial transcriptomics reveals how joint tissues respond to Lyme arthritis. Inflammation and immune cell changes are localized, highlighting the importance of the joint microenvironment in disease progression and resolution.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Genomics
Background:
- Lyme arthritis is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) infection.
- The spatial gene expression in joint tissue during Lyme arthritis is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the spatial gene expression environment in the joint tissue during Lyme arthritis using spatial transcriptomics.
- To understand the role of joint microenvironments in Lyme arthritis pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Spatial transcriptomics was applied to ankle joints of C3H mice infected with Bb.
- Tissues were profiled at peak inflammation (2 weeks post-infection) and during inflammation resolution (4 weeks post-infection).
Main Results:
- Spatially restricted pro-inflammatory signatures were identified in synovial and fibroblast populations.
- Vimentin and I-Ek gene and protein expression were elevated during peak inflammation and reduced during resolution.
- An increase in CD54+ and CD106+ double-positive cells was observed in infected joints.
- Fibroblasts and synoviocytes exhibited distinct phenotypes based on their location within the joint.
Conclusions:
- Joint microenvironments play a critical role in Lyme arthritis pathogenesis.
- Spatial gene expression patterns provide unique insights into the disease process.
- Understanding these spatial dynamics can inform future therapeutic strategies.