Borrelia burgdorferi CRASP-1

Borrelia burgdorferi CRASP-1, short for Complement Regulator-Acquiring Surface Protein 1, is encoded by Borrelia burgdorferi, the main cause of Lyme disease. To survive in the host, this bacterium relies on CRASP-1 to evade the complement system. CRASP-1 specifically binds host complement regulators (e.g., factor H), using the host's own regulatory mechanism to inhibit complement activation and prevent complement complex formation on the bacterial surface, avoiding complement-mediated bacteriolysis. It is a key virulence factor for immune escape, providing a basis for understanding Lyme disease pathogenesis and a potential target for vaccine or immunotherapy development.