Variable tick protein in two genomic groups of the relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia hermsii in western North America.

ABSTRACT: Borrelia hermsii is the primary cause of tick-borne relapsing fever in North America. When its tick vector, Ornithodoros hermsi, acquires these spirochetes from the blood of an infected mammal, the bacteria switch their outer surface from one of many bloodstream variable major proteins (Vmps) to a unique protein, Vtp (Vsp33). Vtp may be critical for successful tick transmission of B. hermsii; however, the gene encoding this protein has been described previously in only one isolate. Here we identified and sequenced the vtp gene in 31 isolates of B. hermsii collected over 40 years from localities throughout much of its known geographic distribution. Seven major Vtp types were found. Little or no sequence variation existed within types, but between them significant variation was observed, sim

SUBMITTER: Porcella SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1230938 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature