Antigenic variation by Borrelia hermsii occurs through recombination between extragenic repetitive elements on linear plasmids.

ABSTRACT: The relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii undergoes multiphasic antigenic variation through gene conversion of a unique expression site on a linear plasmid by an archived variable antigen gene. To further characterize this mechanism we assessed the repertoire and organization of archived variable antigen genes by sequencing approximately 85% of plasmids bearing these genes. Most archived genes shared with the expressed gene a

SUBMITTER: Dai Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5614446 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature