Complement receptor 3 binds the Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface proteins OspA and OspB in an iC3b-independent manner.

Persistence of borreliae within the vertebrate host depends on the fate of interactions between the spirochetes and target cells. The present work demonstrates the direct binding of the Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface proteins OspA and OspB to CR3 and that this binding is independent of iC3b.