Functional Properties of Borrelia burgdorferi recA

Functional properties of Borrelia burgdorferi recA.

Functions of the Borrelia burgdorferi RecA protein were investigated in Escherichia coli recA null mutants. Complementation with B. burgdorferi recA increased survival of E. coli recA mutants by 3 orders of magnitude at a UV dose of 2,000 microJ/cm(2). The viability at this UV dose was about 10% that provided by the homologous recA gene. Expression of B. burgdorferi recA resulted in survival of...

Borrelia burgdorferi vlsE antigenic variation is not mediated by RecA.

RecA is a key protein linking genetic recombination to DNA replication and repair in bacteria. Previous functional characterization of Borrelia burgdorferi RecA indicated that the protein is mainly involved in genetic recombination rather than DNA repair. Genetic recombination may play a role in B. burgdorferi persistence by generation of antigenic variation. We report here the isolation of a r...

Genetics of Borrelia burgdorferi.

The spirochetes in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies group cycle in nature between tick vectors and vertebrate hosts. The current assemblage of B. burgdorferi sensu lato, of which three species cause Lyme disease in humans, originated from a rapid species radiation that occurred near the origin of the clade. All of these species share a unique genome structure that is highly segme...

Adaptation to Glucosamine Starvation in Borrelia burgdorferi is Mediated by recA

Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Disease)

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. In the United States, the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (hereafter termed B burgdorferi) is the only pathogen that causes Lyme disease. However, in Europe and Asia, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, and other related species, in addition to B burgdorferi, cause Lyme disease. In the United States, these ...