Classification of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Isolated in Korea by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism

ABSTRACT

The organization of the ribosomal genes is unique in Borrelia burgdorferi in that the rrl (23S) and rrf (SS) genes are duplicated in tandem. Twelve Korean Borrelia isolates were classified by the method of rRNA gene restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and Southern hybridization. One of the isolates, KW-3, as well as the representative of ribotype group IV Ip89 appeared to have evolved within B. garinii. The size of the restriction bands of the 11 isolates showed different patterns from the USA and European isolates. The result by RFLP of rrf-rrl intergenic spacer region amplified by PCR showed a good correlation with that of Southern hybridization of rRNA gene. Therefore, the eleven Korean isolates could be classified as members of a new Borrelia group.