Stability of erp loci during Borrelia burgdorferi infection: recombination is not required for chronic infection of immunocompetent mice.
Borrelia burgdorferi can persistently infect mammals despite their production of antibodies directed against bacterial proteins, including the Erp lipoproteins. We sequenced erp loci of bacteria reisolated from laboratory mice after 1 year of infection and found them to be identical to those of the inoculant bacteria. We conclude that recombination of erp genes is not essential for chronic mammalian infection.
El Hage
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N
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, 40536-0084, USA.
Lieto
L D
LD
Stevenson
B
B
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000235:genetics*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008074:Lipoproteins; C084998:OspE protein, Borrelia burgdorferi; C084999:OspF protein, Borrelia burgdorferi