Table 5.
Infectivity of B. burgdorferi with the vlsE ORF replacing the ospC ORF on cp26
| B. burgdorferi strain | No. of persistently infected mice/no. of mice injecteda | |
|---|---|---|
| WT | SCID | |
| WT | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| ΔospC | 1/5 | 0/5 |
| ΔospC::CpvlsE | 0/5 | 0/5 |
a
Both immunocompetent (IRW) and immunodeficient C3H-SCID mice were injected with ∼ 103 organisms of the indicated B. burgdorferi strain. At three weeks post-inoculation, WT mice were retro-orbitally bled and tested for infection by immunoblot for seroconversion to B. burgdorferi proteins. All mice were euthanized and isolation of spirochaetes attempted from the ear, bladder, and ankle joint.