Genetic relationship of lyme disease spirochetes to Borrelia, Treponema, and Leptospira spp

J Clin Microbiol. 1984 Aug;20(2):151-4. doi: 10.1128/jcm.20.2.151-154.1984.

Abstract

Genetic studies were performed on the following spirochetes: three Lyme disease spirochetes isolated from Ixodes ticks and from human spinal fluid; three species of North American borreliae; four species of Treponema; and two species of Leptospira. The mol% G+C values for Lyme disease spirochetes were 27.3 to 30.5%, similar to values of 28.0 to 30.5% for Borrelia species but different from the values of Leptospira or Treponema species which ranged from 35.3 to 53%. Lyme disease spirochetes represent a new species of Borrelia, with DNA homologies of 31 to 59% with the three North American strains of Borrelia studied. These studies also showed that Lyme disease spirochetes from three sources constituted a single species, with DNA homologies ranging from 76 to 100%. A high degree of relatedness was also seen between the three North American borreliae, with homology varying from 77 to 95%, indicating that these spirochetes represent a single species. Lyme disease spirochetes and Borrelia species exhibited almost no homology with Leptospira and Treponema species (0 to 2%). Plasmids were detected in the three Lyme disease spirochetes and in the three North American borreliae.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Composition
  • Borrelia / classification
  • Borrelia / genetics*
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid / microbiology
  • Cytosine / analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial* / analysis
  • Guanine / analysis
  • Humans
  • Leptospira / classification
  • Leptospira / genetics*
  • Lyme Disease / microbiology*
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Plasmids
  • Spirochaetaceae / classification
  • Spirochaetaceae / genetics*
  • Ticks / microbiology
  • Treponema / classification
  • Treponema / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Guanine
  • Cytosine