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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 09 1995, 2427-2434, Vol 33, No. 9
RT Marconi, D Liveris and I Schwartz
Borrelia spp. associated with Lyme disease possess an rRNA gene
organization consisting of a single 16S rRNA gene followed by a spacer of
several kilobases and a tandem repeat of a 23S (rrl)-5S (rrf) rRNA gene
cluster. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns for
these genes have been widely used to classify Lyme disease spirochete
isolates. We analyzed the rRNA gene organization and sequences for two
Ixodes ovatus isolates from Japan (IKA2 and HO14) and two group 21038
isolates associated with Ixodes dentatus ticks or rabbits from North
America (isolates 21038 and 19857). This analysis revealed unique
polymorphisms not previously described in other Lyme disease spirochete
isolates. The molecular basis of these polymorphisms was determined by
Southern blotting and PCR analyses. Only one continuous copy of the rrl-rrf
gene cluster was identified in isolates IKA2, 19857, and 21038. The second
rrl-rrf gene cluster is entirely absent from the IKA2 genome. In isolates
19857 and 21038, an intervening sequence is present, resulting in a
fragment rrlB gene. The insertion site of this intervening sequence element
differed in each isolate. While isolates 19857 and 21038 were found to
carry a fragmented rrlB gene, they lacked rrfB. To determine if these rRNA
polymorphisms were indicative of an underlying phylogenetic divergence,
sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA (rrs) genes was conducted. The
phylogenies inferred from rrs sequence analysis suggest that the
polymorphisms resulted from recent mutational events.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
250 WORDS)
Copyright © 1995 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Identification of novel insertion elements, restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns, and discontinuous 23S rRNA in Lyme disease spirochetes: phylogenetic analyses of rRNA genes and their intergenic spacers in Borrelia japonica sp. nov. and genomic group 21038 (Borrelia andersonii sp. nov.) isolates
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0678, USA.
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