Simultaneous detection and genotyping of three genomic groups of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Dutch Ixodes ricinus ticks by characterization of the amplified intergenic spacer region between 5S and 23S rRNA genes

We developed a rapid and reliable method for the identification Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species in ticks. We used the DNA sequence polymorphism of the spacer region between 5S and 23S rRNA genes, which has been shown to be able to discriminate between eight genomic groups of B. burgdorferi sensu lato (D. Postic, M. Assous, P. A. D. Grimont, and G. Baranton, Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44:743-752, 1994). Spacer DNA was amplified by PCR and was then hybridized to five membrane-bound oligonucleotides. The oligonucleotides were specific for B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii, Borr... Mehr ...