Relapsing fever spirochetes contain chromosomal genes with unique direct tandemly repeated sequences.

ABSTRACT: Genome sequencing of the relapsing fever spirochetes Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia turicatae identified three open reading frames (ORFs) on the chromosomes that contained internal, tandemly repeated amino acid sequences that were absent in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The predicted amino acid sequences of these genes (BH0209, BH0512, and BH0553) have hydrophobic N termini, indicating that these proteins may be secreted. B. hermsii transcribed the three ORFs in vitro, and the BH0512- and BH0553-encoded proteins (PBH-512 and PBH-553) were produced in vitro and in experimentally infected mice. PBH-512 and PBH-553 were on the spirochete's outer surface, and antiserum to these proteins reduced the adherence of B. hermsii to red blood cells. PCR analyses of 28 isolates of B.

SUBMITTER: Guyard C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1087331 | biostudies-literature | 2005 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature