Horizontally acquired genes for purine salvage in Borrelia spp. causing relapsing fever

Infect Immun. 2005 Sep;73(9):6165-8. doi: 10.1128/IAI.73.9.6165-6168.2005.

Abstract

Unlike Borrelia burgdorferi, the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii and the related Borrelia miyamotoi had purA and purB genes of the purine salvage pathway. These were located among the rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these genes had a different evolutionary history than those of orthologs in other spirochetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenylosuccinate Lyase / genetics
  • Adenylosuccinate Lyase / metabolism
  • Adenylosuccinate Synthase / genetics
  • Adenylosuccinate Synthase / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Borrelia / classification
  • Borrelia / genetics*
  • Borrelia / metabolism
  • DNA, Intergenic
  • Gene Transfer, Horizontal*
  • Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / genetics
  • Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Purines / metabolism*
  • Relapsing Fever / metabolism*
  • Relapsing Fever / microbiology*

Substances

  • DNA, Intergenic
  • Purines
  • Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase
  • Adenylosuccinate Lyase
  • Adenylosuccinate Synthase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY531879
  • GENBANK/AY803734