Probing the Role of bba30, a Highly Conserved Gene of the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Throughout the Mouse-Tick Infectious Cycle.

ABSTRACT: Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, has a complex and segmented genome consisting of a small linear chromosome and up to 21 linear and circular plasmids. Some of these plasmids are essential as they carry genes that are critical during the life cycle of the Lyme disease spirochete. Among these is a highly conserved linear plasmid, lp54, which is crucial for the mouse-tick infectious cycle of B. burgdorferi. However, the functions of most lp54-encoded open reading frames (ORFs) remain unknown. In this study, we investigate the contribution of a previously uncharacterized lp54 gene during the infectious cycle of B. burgdorferi. This gene, bba30, is conserved in the Borrelia genus but lacks any identified homologs outside the genus. Homology modeling of BB

SUBMITTER: Bhatia B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8594592 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature