title: Expression of outer surface proteins A and C of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes ricinus.
abstract: A total of 472 field-collected Ixodes ricinus ticks from southern Germany were investigated by immunofluorescence for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi with a polyvalent rabbit immune serum and with monoclonal antibodies specific for outer surface proteins A and C (OspA and OspC, respectively). Borreliae were detected in 90 ticks with the polyvalent immunofluorescence assay. Infection rates in adults (females, 20.2%; males, 25.2%) were significantly higher than in nymphs (12.1%). OspA was detected in 77 ticks and OspC was detected in only 1 tick with the respective monoclonal antibodies. We therefore conclude that B. burgdorferi in unfed I. ricinus ticks usually expresses OspA and very rarely OspC.
authors.affiliation: Max von Pettenkofer Institute für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie Universitt München, Germany.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fingerle
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liegl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petko
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Preac-Mursic
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilske
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D008074:Lipoproteins; C072045:OspA protein; C079616:OspC protein