FIG. 5.

Detection of BBA05 mutant spirochetes in ticks. (A and B) Naive I. scapularis larvae were allowed to feed to repletion on mice infected with either the wild type (A) or the BBA05 mutant (B) and were subjected to IFA. Spirochetes were detected using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled anti-B. burgdorferi antibody. Engorged larvae were allowed to molt to nymphs. (C to E) Flat nymphs were allow to feed on naive mice, and newly engorged nymphs harboring either the wild type (C) or BBA05 (D) were subjected to IFA and qPCR analyses (E). For qPCR analyses, the copy number of flaB gene was chosen to represent the number of spirochetes. The copy numbers of flaB were normalized by the copy numbers of the tick actin gene in each DNA sample. Black triangles represent values from individual nymphs. Horizontal bars represent the mean value in each group.