Purification of Borrelia burgdorferi Outer Membrane Vesicles.

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are spherical membrane constructs shed by gram-negative bacteria. OMVs produced by the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi have been identified to contain such virulence factors as OspA, OspB, OspC, and genetic material. However, the function and possible pathogenicity of borrelial OMVs are still undetermined.

Outer Membrane Vesicles Contain Antigenic Proteins, but Do Not Induce Cell Death in Human Cells.

Like many bacterial species, , the pleomorphic bacterium that causes Lyme borreliosis, produces outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Borrelial OMVs (BbOMVs) have been identified as containing virulence factors, such as outer surface proteins (Osps) A, B, and C, as well as DNA. However, the pathogenicity of BbOMVs in disease development is still unclear.