Proteins binding to the promoter region of the operon encoding the major outer surface proteins OspA and OspB of Borrelia burgdorferi

The synthesis of the major outer surface proteins OspA and OspB in Borrelia burgdorferi varies among strains and during in vitro cultivation. We examined B. burgdorferi CA-11.2A for the presence of proteins that bind to the ospAB operon promoter region. Three major DNA-protein complexes were detected using a mobility shift assay; one of these complexes was due to sequence-specific binding. These proteins may be involved in the regulation of ospAB transcription and the pathogenesis of Lyme disease.