Borrelia garinii
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Borrelia garinii
Classification
Higher order taxa
Bacteria; Spirochaetes; Spirochaetes (class); Spirochaetales; Spirochaetaceae; Borrelia; Borrelia burgdorferi group
Genus
Borrelia garinii
Description and significance
Borrelia garinii is one of the three Borrelia species that causes Lyme disease. "Borrelia garinii" favors the temperature when it is at 33 degrees celsius. The spirochetes can be found in the gut of ticks and can infect host cells through tick bites. While in the gastro-intestinal section of the tick, "Borrelia garinii" and other spirochetes are generally not replicating because of thier attachment to the epithelial cells. Once the spirochetes make contact with high heat and mammalian blood(ex. during a tick bite), the expression of the outer surface proteins change drastically. "Borrelia garinii" is no longer dormant and begins to spread through the wall of the gut and through the entire tick. The spirochetes infect the mammalian cells through the salivary glands of the ticks. Sequencing the genome is essential to finding better ways to prevent and treat lyme disease.
Genome structure
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Cell structure and metabolism
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Ecology
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Pathology
How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
Application to Biotechnology
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Current Research
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References
Edited by , student of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano
