FIG 3.

Alignment of OspC suggesting the eastern North Dakota isolates are genetically distinct strains of B. burgdorferi. Samples M7 and M9 contain a mixture of clones. The sequences included (approximately) residues 25 to 198. B. burgdorferi B31 (AE000792.1), N40 (DQ437463.1), A (a non-type strain, ABQ42987.1), B (a non-type strain, ABK41066.1), ZS7 (AF500204.1), and JD1 (DQ437462.1), as well as Vsp3, an OspC ortholog found in B. hermsii (relapsing fever; AAA22967.1), were included for comparison. Alignment was performed in ClustalW2, and shading was performed using ExPASy's BoxShade (black indicates identical residues, gray indicates residues with biochemical properties similar to those of the majority of the residues in the same position, and white indicates unrelated residues). Symbols: dashes indicate gaps, dots in the consensus line indicate moderate to high conservation, gaps indicate no conservation, and asterisks indicate fully conserved residues.