The Characterization Of Telomeres In The Linear Plasmids Of The Bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi
Abstract
The replication of the telomeres of Borrelia burgdorferi's 16 kb and 49 kb linear plasmids was investigated. Two dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the replication intermediates of B. burgdorferi in an attempt to determine the mechanism of telomere replication. Oxytricha telomerase assays were used to investigate the possible existence of a telomerase-like enzyme in B. burgdorferi. The two dimensional agarose gels failed to identify specific replication intermediates; the telomerase assay either worked weakly or failed to work. This suggests that i) B. burgdorferi does not depend on telomerase to maintain its telomeres or ii) if telomerase exists, its substrate specificity differs significantly from that of Oxytricha telomerase.
Description
Program year: 1992/1993Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Citation
Juo, Peter Chang-Hwa (1993). The Characterization Of Telomeres In The Linear Plasmids Of The Bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi. University Undergraduate Fellow. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -JuoP _1993.