POPULATION BIOLOGY OF BORRELIA BURGDORFERI

使用任意引物聚合酶链式反应(AP-PCR)的基因组指纹技术，我们已经 表明伯氏疏螺旋体实际上是由 至少三个不同的系统类群，其分歧程度 通过几个标准接近不同物种的水平(威尔士等人， (1992年)。AP-PCR作为系统发育工具的有效性已经被证明 经多位点酶电泳法(MEE)和其他 方法，正如我们将演示的那样。在这里，我们建议将基因组学 指纹识别和其他方法来解决 白背飞虱的群体遗传学研究。首先，我们将比较 利用AP-PCR和MEE对EcoR进行系统发育分析。我们 将完善由MEE测量的遗传距离与 利用这一数据进行AP-PCR。第二，我们将继续探索数字 和不同的伯氏杆菌种系群的分布，预计 揭示不同的物种或亚种，并概括地概述 种群的遗传结构。在这部分研究中，我们将 确定螺旋体的种内系统发育是否相关 与北美的区域地理位置的关系，正如已经证明的那样 为欧亚大陆的伯格多费氏杆菌。我们还将比较第一组和第二组。 来自两个大陆的伯格多费尔人，以确定亲缘关系 在这两个群体之间。第三，我们将确定伯氏杆菌是否 来自不同的系统类群有不同的首选寄主，包括 人类。第四，我们将寻找自然发生的基因的证据 通过DNA序列比较实现伯氏杆菌菌株间的重组 信息和构建基因树。第五，我们将寻找证据 的不同分支之间的水平移动的质粒 系统发育树，使用AP-PCR同源性，比较质粒 侧写和Southern印迹。

Using genomic fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR), we have shown that the species Borrelia burgdorferi is actually comprised of at least three distinct phyletic groups, whose level of divergence approaches that of distinct species by several criteria (Welsh et al., 1992). The validity of AP-PCR as a phylogenetic tool has been corroborated by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE) and other methods, as we will demonstrate. Here, we propose to apply genomic fingerprinting and other methods to resolve several questions in the population genetics of B. burgdorferi. First, we will compare phylogenetic analysis using AP-PCR with MEE for the ECOR collection. We will refine the correlation between genetic distances measured by MEE and AP-PCR using this data. Second, we will continue to explore the number and distribution of distinct phyletic groups of B. burgdorferi, expecting to reveal distinct species or subspecies, and generally outline the genetic structure of the population. In this part of the study, we will determine whether the intraspecies phylogeny of the spirochete correlates with regional geographics within North America, as has been demonstrated for B. burgdorferi in Eurasia. We will also compare Group I B. burgdorferi from both continents, to determine the genetic relationship between the two populations. Third, we will determine if B. burgdorferi from different phyletic groups have different preferred hosts, including human. Fourth, we will seek evidence of naturally occurring genetic recombination between strains of B. burgdorferi by comparing DNA sequence information and constructing gene trees. Fifth, we will seek evidence for the horizontal movement of plasmids between different branches of the phylogenetic tree, using AP-PCR homoplasy, comparisons of plasmid profiles and Southern blotting.