title: Characterization of a circular plasmid from Borrelia burgdorferi, etiologic agent of Lyme disease.
abstract: Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, was recently shown to contain plasmid DNA. Two plasmid species have been described in strain CT1, a Wisconsin tick isolate: a 9.2-kilobase entity; and a larger, 70-kilobase entity. Characterization of the 9.2-kilobase entity by using DNase I and restriction endonucleases demonstrated that the plasmid is supercoiled and exists as a stable dimer in this strain. The role played by the plasmid in B. burgdorferi is unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D001898:Borrelia / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D010957:Plasmids
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial