Table 2. Artificial infection of larval ticks with WT, ospC mutant, and complemented B. burgdorferi clones and transmission to mice.
| Ticks infected/analyzed
|
Mice infected/analyzed
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clone | Feeding-tick stage | IFA midgut | IFA salivary gland* | Seroconversion | Reisolation† |
| B31-A3 | Larvae | 6/6 | NA | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| Nymphs | 21/26‡ | + | 3/3 | 3/3 | |
| ospC7 | Larvae | 5/6 | NA | 0/2 | 0/2 |
| Nymphs | 19/22‡ | + | 0/3 | 0/3 | |
| ospC7/ospC+4 | Larvae | 3/6 | NA | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| Nymphs | 17/23‡ | + | 3/3 | 3/3 | |
*
Localization of spirochetes within the salivary glands of feeding nymphal ticks as assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. NA, not addressed.
†
Three tissues were analyzed per mouse.
‡
Unfed and fed nymphal ticks.