Genomic sequence of a Lyme disease spirochaete, Borrelia burgdorferi

Claire M. Fraser (), Sherwood Casjens, Wai Mun Huang, Granger G. Sutton, Rebecca Clayton, Raju Lathigra, Owen White, Karen A. Ketchum, Robert Dodson, Erin K. Hickey, Michelle Gwinn, Brian Dougherty, Jean-Francois Tomb, Robert D. Fleischmann, Delwood Richardson, Jeremy Peterson, Anthony R. Kerlavage, John Quackenbush, Steven Salzberg, Mark Hanson, Rene van Vugt, Nanette Palmer, Mark D. Adams, Jeannine Gocayne, Janice Weidman, Teresa Utterback, Larry Watthey, Lisa McDonald, Patricia Artiach, Cheryl Bowman, Stacey Garland, Claire Fujii, Matthew D. Cotton, Kurt Horst, Kevin Roberts, Bonnie Hatch, Hamilton O. Smith and J. Craig Venter
Additional contact information
Claire M. Fraser: The Institute for Genomic Research
Sherwood Casjens: University of Utah
Wai Mun Huang: University of Utah
Granger G. Sutton: The Institute for Genomic Research
Rebecca Clayton: The Institute for Genomic Research
Raju Lathigra: MedImmune, Inc.
Owen White: The Institute for Genomic Research
Karen A. Ketchum: The Institute for Genomic Research
Robert Dodson: The Institute for Genomic Research
Erin K. Hickey: The Institute for Genomic Research
Michelle Gwinn: The Institute for Genomic Research
Brian Dougherty: The Institute for Genomic Research
Jean-Francois Tomb: The Institute for Genomic Research
Robert D. Fleischmann: The Institute for Genomic Research
Delwood Richardson: The Institute for Genomic Research
Jeremy Peterson: The Institute for Genomic Research
Anthony R. Kerlavage: The Institute for Genomic Research
John Quackenbush: The Institute for Genomic Research
Steven Salzberg: The Institute for Genomic Research
Mark Hanson: MedImmune, Inc.
Rene van Vugt: University of Utah
Nanette Palmer: University of Utah
Mark D. Adams: The Institute for Genomic Research
Jeannine Gocayne: The Institute for Genomic Research
Janice Weidman: The Institute for Genomic Research
Teresa Utterback: The Institute for Genomic Research
Larry Watthey: The Institute for Genomic Research
Lisa McDonald: The Institute for Genomic Research
Patricia Artiach: The Institute for Genomic Research
Cheryl Bowman: The Institute for Genomic Research
Stacey Garland: The Institute for Genomic Research
Claire Fujii: The Institute for Genomic Research
Matthew D. Cotton: The Institute for Genomic Research
Kurt Horst: The Institute for Genomic Research
Kevin Roberts: The Institute for Genomic Research
Bonnie Hatch: The Institute for Genomic Research
Hamilton O. Smith: The Institute for Genomic Research
J. Craig Venter: The Institute for Genomic Research

Nature, 1997, vol. 390, issue 6660, 580-586

Abstract: Abstract The genome of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi B31, the aetiologic agent of Lyme disease, contains a linear chromosome of 910,725 base pairs and at least 17 linear and circular plasmids with a combined size of more than 533,000 base pairs. The chromosome contains 853 genes encoding a basic set of proteins for DNA replication, transcription, translation, solute transport and energy metabolism, but, like Mycoplasma genitalium, it contains no genes for cellular biosynthetic reactions. Because B. burgdorferi and M. genitalium are distantly related eubacteria, we suggest that their limited metabolic capacities reflect convergent evolution by gene loss from more metabolically competent progenitors. Of 430 genes on 11 plasmids, most have no known biological function; 39% of plasmid genes are paralogues that form 47 gene families. The biological significance of the multiple plasmid-encoded genes is not clear, although they may be involved in antigenic variation or immune evasion.

Date: 1997
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DOI: 10.1038/37551

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