title: Antigenic and genetic structure of Borrelia burgdorferi.
abstract: Lyme borreliosis is a disease caused by the spirochaetes Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii and it is transmitted by ticks. Most of the proteins (outer surface proteins, flagellar proteins and other uncertain location proteins) have a strong antigenic variability. Osp A protein genetic and serological studies facilitated the differentiation of seven serotypes strongly correlated with the known genospecies. The genetic structure of these spirochaetes included a large linear chromosome, several linear microchromosomes as well as a number of circular plasmids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University Hospital San Cecilio, Medical School, Granada University, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Fernández
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Fernández
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nuñez Murillo
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Maroto Vela
mesh_terms: D000940:Antigenic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000235:genetics; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005407:Flagella / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000276:immunology; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins