Persister mechanisms in Borrelia burgdorferi: implications for improved intervention

Written by Global Lyme Alliance | Feb 19, 2015 4:26:06 AM

Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. In lab cultures of B. burgdorferi that are treated with antibiotics, most are killed. However, some become persister bacteria that survive. The authors used RNA sequencing to study how the genes that are expressed may differ in persister compared to drug-free bacteria. They found that expression changes in 675 genes in persister bacteria.