title: Transformation of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi with heterologous DNA.
abstract: Studies of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi have been hindered by the scarcity of genetic tools that can be used in these bacteria. For the first time, a method has been developed by which heterologous DNA (DNA without a naturally occurring B. burgdorferi homolog) can be introduced into and persistently maintained by B. burgdorferi. This technique uses integration of circular DNA into the bacterial genome via a single-crossover event. The ability to transform B. burgdorferi with heterologous DNA will now permit a wide range of experiments on the biology of these bacteria and their involvement in the many facets of Lyme disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Structure and Function, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840, USA. bstev0@pop.uky.edu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tilly
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000235:genetics*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D007613:Kanamycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial