Figure 3. DbpA variants promote distinct B. burgdorferi tissue colonization profiles at 28 days post-infection.

C3H/HeN mice infected with 10⁴ B. burgdorferi strain ML23/pBBE22 (“ML23/Vector”), dbpBA deletion strain ML23ΔdbpBA/pBBE22 (“Vector”), or the deletion strain bearing a plasmid encoding the indicated DbpA variants were sacrificed at 28 days post-infection. The bacterial loads at the inoculation site, ear, bladder, heart, knee, and tibiotarsus joint were determined by qPCR. Data shown are the mean bacterial loads ± SEM of 10 mice per group. Statistical significance was determined using a one-way ANOVA test. Significant (P<0.05) differences in spirochete number relative to the dbpBA deletion strain (“*”), between two strains relative to each other (“#”), or relative to the dbpA_VS461ΔC11-complemented strain (“†”), are indicated. (n.d.): not determined. These data are described comprehensively with other post-infection time points in Table S1.