Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Journal of Bacteriology, September 1998, p. 4850-4855, Vol. 180, No. 18
Laboratory of Microbial Structure and
Function, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health,
Hamilton, Montana 59840
Received 6 May 1998/Accepted 22 July 1998
Studies of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi have
been hindered by the scarcity of genetic tools that can be used in
these bacteria. For the first time, a method has been developed by
which heterologous DNA (DNA without a naturally occurring B. burgdorferi homolog) can be introduced into and persistently
maintained by B. burgdorferi. This technique uses
integration of circular DNA into the bacterial genome via a
single-crossover event. The ability to transform B. burgdorferi with heterologous DNA will now permit a wide range of
experiments on the biology of these bacteria and their involvement in
the many facets of Lyme disease.
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Transformation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete
Borrelia burgdorferi with Heterologous DNA
*
Corresponding author. Present address: Department of
Microbiology and Immunology, University of Kentucky College of
Medicine, MS415 Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40536-0084. Phone: (606)
257-9358. Fax: (606) 257-8994. E-mail:
bstev0{at}pop.uky.edu.
This article has been cited by other articles:
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»