Molecular evidence for a new bacteriophage of Borrelia burgdorferi.
We have recovered a DNase-protected, chloroform-resistant molecule of DNA from the cell-free supernatant of a Borrelia burgdorferi culture. The DNA is a 32-kb double-stranded linear molecule that is derived from the 32-kb circular plasmids (cp32s) of the B. burgdorferi genome. Electron microscopy of samples from which the 32-kb DNA molecule was purified revealed bacteriophage particles. The bacteriophage has a polyhedral head with a diameter of 55 nm and appears to have a simple 100-nm-long tail. The phage is produced constitutively at low levels from growing cultures of some B. burgdorferi strains and is inducible to higher levels with 10 microg of 1-methyl-3-nitroso-nitroguanidine (MNNG) ml(-1). In addition, the prophage can be induced with MNNG from some Borrelia isolates that do not naturally produce phage. We have isolated and partially characterized the phage associated with B. burgdorferi CA-11.2A. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular characterization of a bacteriophage of B. burgdorferi.
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Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA.
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D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D014775:Virus Activation
D004247:DNA; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases