title: Bacteriophages induced by ciprofloxacin in a Borrelia burgdorferi skin isolate.
abstract: Two types of tailed bacteriophages were detected by electron microscopy in a Borrelia burgdorferi strain which had been isolated from infected human skin and exposed to the gyrase inhibitor ciprofloxacin. One of these phages displayed an isometric 30 nm head, a neck and a contractile tail 50-64 nm in length with a baseplate, according to an A-1 morphology. The other phage showing a B-1 morphology had a 30 nm isometric head as well and a long non-contractile straight tail 115-130 nm in length without neck and baseplate. Both types of phages could be found together within one plasmolysed spirochetal cell. We conclude that we are dealing with a lysogenic strain of Borrelia burgdorferi carrying at least two different prophages inducible by ciprofloxacin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Neubert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schaller
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Januschke
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stolz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmieger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000382:microbiology; D008242:Lysogeny; D011533:Proviruses; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D002939:Ciprofloxacin