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PMID: 7665660 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Molecular analysis of genes encoding outer surface protein C (OspC) of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato: relationship to ospA genotype and evidence of lateral gene exchange of ospC.

Journal of clinical microbiology ·Vol. 33 ·No. 7 ·1995-07-00 ·Pages 1860-6

Jauris-Heipke S, Liegl G, Preac-Mursic V, Rössler D, Schwab E, Soutschek E, Will G, Wilske B

Abstract

It has been shown by analysis with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that outer surface protein C (OspC) of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is highly heterogeneous. To determine if the heterogeneity has a genetic basis, the genes of 18 different B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains have been amplified by PCR, cloned, and sequenced. The ospC genes could be amplified from all strains tested, even from two strains which did not express OspC in detectable amounts. Among the 18 strains, 16 significantly different types of ospC sequences have been found. The sequence identities of the deduced amino acid sequences of different ospC genotypes range between 62 and 80% (determined without the leader peptide). The sequences range between 62 and 80% (determined without the leader peptide). The sequences correspond to one of the 13 OspC types distinguishable by analysis with monoclonal antibodies (B. Wilske, S. Jauris-Heipke, R. Lobentanzer, I. Pradel, V. Preac-Mursic, D. Roessler, E. Soutschek, and R. C. Johnson, J. Clin. Microbiol. 33:103-109, 1995) or represent additional types. Two completely new types were found, and OspC type 8 (which was found in Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii) could be divided into two groups with different sequences but the same antibody pattern. Thus, strains belonging to different species or OspA serotypes were always significantly different in their ospC sequences. This was also confirmed by ospA sequence analysis. Interestingly, some strains of the same OspA serotype or genotype were very heterogeneous with respect to OspC, while others had nearly identical OspC proteins. Such groups of strains were found among B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, and B. garinii strains. Cluster analysis of 5'-terminal and 3'-terminal stretches of ospC suggested recent intragenic recombination events in the ospC gene at least one B. afzelii strain. In addition, other recombination events between ancestors of strains belonging to the same or different species were evidenced by this type of analysis.

Related Genes
ospA ospC
MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Animals Antigens, Bacterial Antigens, Surface/genetics Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics Bacterial Vaccines Borrelia/classification,genetics Borrelia burgdorferi Group/genetics,isolation & purification Cloning, Molecular Cluster Analysis Consensus Sequence Genes, Bacterial Genetic Variation Genotype Humans Lipoproteins Molecular Sequence Data Recombination, Genetic Sequence Homology, Amino Acid Species Specificity
Chemicals
Antigens, Bacterial Antigens, Surface Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins Bacterial Vaccines Lipoproteins OspA protein OspC protein
Authors & Affiliations
8 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Jauris-Heipke S
Max von Pettenkofer Institut für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie der Universität München, Germany.
Liegl G
Preac-Mursic V
Rössler D
Schwab E
Soutschek E
Will G
Wilske B
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of clinical microbiology
Abbr.
J Clin Microbiol
ISSN
0095-1137
DOI
10.1128/jcm.33.7.1860-1866.1995
Published
1995-07-00
Pages
1860-6
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505564
PMCID
PMC228286
Subset
IM
Databases
GENBANK
X69589, X69590, X69592, X69593, X69594, X81521, X81522, X81523, X81524, X81525, X81526, X83552, X83553, X83554, X83555, X83556
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/jcm.33.7.1860-1866.1995 PMC Full Text View journal details
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