Researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the State University of New York, Stony Brook, used high-resolution, phase capillary liquid chromatography coupled with MS/MS analysis at the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory to conduct an initial survey of the entire protein complement of three strains of the organism that causes Lyme disease. This proteomic survey compared three Borrelia strains, and showed variations in the proteins detected, as well as differences among the strains in the number of unique peptides identified. For example, three unique membrane proteins (BBA03, p66 and LMP1) were expressed in one strain, but not in another; and unique heat shock proteins were found in two strains, but not the third. The research results may be useful for identifying protein targets that can be used for vaccine development and diagnostic testing. Program Contact: Paul Bayer

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6/4/03