Borrelia chilensis, a new member of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex that extends the range of this genospecies in the Southern Hemisphere.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), transmitted by Ixodes spp.

Functional analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi uvrA in DNA damage protection.

Bacterial pathogens face constant challenges from DNA-damaging agents generated by host phagocytes. Although Borrelia burgdorferi appears to have much fewer DNA repair enzymes than pathogens with larger genomes, it does contain homologues of uvrA and uvrB (subunits A and B of excinuclease ABC). As a first step to exploring the physiologic function of uvrA(Bbu) and its possible role in survival in the host in the face of DNA-damaging agents, a partially deleted uvrA mutant was isolated by targeted inactivation.

Genetic and physiological characterization of 23S rRNA and ftsJ mutants of Borrelia burgdorferi isolated by mariner transposition.

Borrelia burgdorferi contains one 16S rRNA gene and two tandem sets of 23S and 5S rRNA genes located in a single chromosomal region. This unusual rRNA gene organization has been speculated to be involved in the slow growth of this organism. Because we were repeatedly unable to isolate a 23S ribosomal mutant in B.