The Diadenylate Cyclase CdaA Is Critical for Borrelia turicataeVirulence and Physiology

Relapsing fever (RF), caused by spirochetes of the genus Borrelia, is a globally distributed, vector-borne disease with high prevalence in developing countries. To date, signaling pathways required for infection and virulence of RF Borreliaspirochetes are unknown. Cyclic di-AMP(c-di-AMP), synthesized by diadenylate cyclases (DACs), is a second messenger predominantly found in Gram-positive organisms that is linked to virulence and essential physiological processes.