TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence for frequent OspC gene transfer between Borrelia valaisiana sp. nov. and other Lyme disease spirochetes
AU - Wang, G.
AU - van Dam, A. P.
AU - Dankert, J.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Molecular polymorphism of the ospC gene has been reported in Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii, the spirochetes causing human Lyme borreliosis. To assess the genetic relationship between ospC genes from the recently described Borrelia valaisiana sp. nov. and other B. burgdorferi sensu lato species, the ospC genes from eight B. valaisiana isolates were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. The ospC genes of three B. valaisiana isolates were identical, but clearly distinct from ospC genes from other Borrelia species. Four B. valaisiana isolates possessed ospC genes more related to those of B. garinii, and fell into a cluster representing B. garinii species in the phylogenetic tree. One isolate had an ospC gene encoding a protein identical to that of B. afzelii strain. Since five of the eight (62.5%) B. valaisiana isolates contained a gene highly homologous or even identical to ospC genes found among B. garinii and B. afzelii strains, our findings indicate that ospC gene transfer occurs between B. valaisiana and other Lyme disease spirochetes
AB - Molecular polymorphism of the ospC gene has been reported in Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii, the spirochetes causing human Lyme borreliosis. To assess the genetic relationship between ospC genes from the recently described Borrelia valaisiana sp. nov. and other B. burgdorferi sensu lato species, the ospC genes from eight B. valaisiana isolates were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. The ospC genes of three B. valaisiana isolates were identical, but clearly distinct from ospC genes from other Borrelia species. Four B. valaisiana isolates possessed ospC genes more related to those of B. garinii, and fell into a cluster representing B. garinii species in the phylogenetic tree. One isolate had an ospC gene encoding a protein identical to that of B. afzelii strain. Since five of the eight (62.5%) B. valaisiana isolates contained a gene highly homologous or even identical to ospC genes found among B. garinii and B. afzelii strains, our findings indicate that ospC gene transfer occurs between B. valaisiana and other Lyme disease spirochetes
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1097(99)00346-8
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1097(99)00346-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 10474195
SN - 0378-1097
VL - 177
SP - 289
EP - 296
JO - FEMS Microbiology Letters
JF - FEMS Microbiology Letters
IS - 2
ER -