Figure 8.

Wild‐type Borrelia hermsii, but not Bh::UHS_AS, undergoes antigenic variation by day 10 post inoculation in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. The vmp _Ex locus of wild‐type B. hermsii (panel a) and Bh::UHS_AS (panel b) was PCR amplified from the starting inoculum (Inoc.), and from spirochetes recovered from SCID mice on day 10 post inoculation. The resultant PCR products are shown undigested, and digested with HindIII. Mouse number is indicated numerically at top; sizes of selected molecular weight standards (mws) of 1 kb DNA ladder (New England Biolabs) are shown at right in base pairs