for brent: genetic exchange in bb

Intra- and interbacterial genetic exchange of Lyme disease spirochete
erp genes generates sequence identity amidst diversity.

Stevenson B, Miller JC.

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, MS415
Chandler Medical Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine,
Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA. bstev0@xxxxxxx

All isolates of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi contain multiple,
different plasmids of the cp32 family, each of which contains a locus
encoding Erp surface proteins. Many of these proteins are known to bind
host complement regulatory factor H, enabling the bacteria to avoid
killing by the alternative complement pathway during vertebrate
infection. In the present study, we characterized the erp loci and cp32
plasmids of strains N40, Sh-2-82, and 297 and compared them to the
previously determined cp32 sequences of type strain B31. Bacteria of
strain N40 contain 6 different cp32s, those of Sh-2-82 contain 10, and
297 bacteria contain 9 cp32s. Significant conservation between all
strains was noted for the cp32 loci responsible for plasmid
maintenance, indicating close relationships that appear to correspond
with incompatibility groups. In contrast, considerable diversity was
found between erp gene sequences, both within individual bacteria and
between different strains. However, examples of identities among erp
loci were found, with strains Sh-2-82, 297, and B31 each containing
three identical loci that likely arose through intrabacterial genetic
rearrangements. These studies also found the first evidence of
large-scale genetic exchanges between Lyme disease spirochetes in
nature, including the apparent transfer of an entire cp32 plasmid
between two different bacteria.
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you know what's weird is when I compared the protein database of Bb ss
with B. garinii, none of the erp proteins were listed for garinii.
these should be encoded on the cp32's, probably just an error. of
course the genome sequencing of garinii published recently was one of
the biggest piles of *** I've seen in a scientific journal recently.
probably they missed quite a bit. and there is apparently no orthologue
for OspD in the garinii strain sequenced.

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