PlzA protein and how Lyme bacteria survive in ticks and mammals
Official title: PlzA, cyclic-di-GMP and the enzootic cycle for Lyme disease
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11231225 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will look at how a bacterial protein called PlzA helps Lyme bacteria live in ticks and mammals to better protect people at risk of Lyme disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | November 18, 2022 |
| Project end | October 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $669,937 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI169840-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11231225 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not enroll people; its results will be most relevant to people at risk for or living with Lyme disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatments or direct clinical care should not expect personal benefit from this lab-and-animal research.
What this research studies
Scientists will change specific surface parts of the PlzA protein based on its 3D structure to see how those changes affect its shape, binding to the signaling molecule c-di-GMP, and interactions with RNA and other proteins. They will test these altered proteins in biochemical experiments and then make modified B. burgdorferi bacteria that carry those changes. Those engineered bacteria will be studied in ticks and mammal models to find out whether the changes change infection or transmission. This work is laboratory and animal-focused and does not directly enroll patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets to block the bacterium from establishing infection or being passed by ticks.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have revealed PlzA's atomic structure and some functions, so using targeted mutations and testing effects on transmission builds on established findings but applies them in new functional experiments.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marconi, Richard T — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Marconi, Richard T
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.