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PMID: 9108482 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Antigenic variation in Lyme disease borreliae by promiscuous recombination of VMP-like sequence cassettes.

Cell ·Vol. 89 ·No. 2 ·1997-04-18 ·Pages 275-85

Zhang JR, Hardham JM, Barbour AG, Norris SJ

Abstract

We have identified and characterized an elaborate genetic system in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi that promotes extensive antigenic variation of a surface-exposed lipoprotein, VlsE. A 28 kb linear plasmid of B. burgdorferi B31 (lp28-1) was found to contain a vmp-like sequence (vls) locus that closely resembles the variable major protein (vmp) system for antigenic variation of relapsing fever organisms. Portions of several of the 15 nonexpressed (silent) vls cassette sequences located upstream of vlsE recombined into the central vlsE cassette region during infection of C3H/HeN mice, resulting in antigenic variation of the expressed lipoprotein. This combinatorial variation could potentially produce millions of antigenic variants in the mammalian host.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Animals Antigenic Variation/genetics Antigens, Bacterial/analysis Antigens, Surface/analysis,genetics Bacterial Proteins Base Sequence Borrelia burgdorferi Group/genetics,immunology,pathogenicity Cloning, Molecular Female Genes, Bacterial/genetics Genetic Variation/genetics Lipoproteins/analysis,genetics Mice Mice, Inbred C3H Models, Genetic Molecular Sequence Data Plasmids/genetics Protein Sorting Signals/genetics Recombination, Genetic Sequence Analysis, DNA Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Chemicals
Antigens, Bacterial Antigens, Surface Bacterial Proteins Lipoproteins Protein Sorting Signals VlsE protein, Borrelia burgdorferi
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Zhang J R
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston 77030, USA.
Hardham J M
Barbour A G
Norris S J
Article Info
Journal
Cell
Abbr.
Cell
ISSN
0092-8674
DOI
10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80206-8
Published
1997-04-18
Pages
275-85
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0413066
Subset
IM
Grants
NIAID NIH HHS · R01 AI037277 · United States
NIAID NIH HHS · AI24424 · United States
NIAID NIH HHS · AI37277 · United States
Databases
GENBANK
U76405, U76406, U84553, U84554, U84555, U84556, U84557, U84558, U84559, U84560, U84561, U84562, U84563, U84564, U84565, U84566, U84567
Corrections
ErratumIn
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External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80206-8 View journal details
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