Differentiation Borrelia Species in Environmental Samples with High-Resolution DNA Melting Analysis

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato includes at least 20 species in the world, and half of these are found in Europe. The usefulness of high resolution melting (HRM) analysis of DNA denaturation curves has been assessed for differentiation of Borrelia species.

HRM protocol for Borrelia species was used to examine the 77 DNA extracts selected from earlier studies with the use of three different molecular markers: flaB, rplL, and groEL.

The studies revealed that the best marker is the groEL gene, which enables identification of 8 Borrelia species, including B. miyamotoi from the relapsing fever borreliae group and 7 of B. burgdorferi s.l. complex (B. garinii, B, afzelii, B. burgdorferi s.s., B. valaisiana, B. lusitaniae, B. bissetii, B. spielmanii).

The HRM method, when compared with other PCR variants with regard to the reduced time of analysis, is an alternative for the procedures used in the molecular diagnostics of borreliosis including testing of blood samples or saved Ixodes ticks for the presence and genotyping of Borrelia burgdorferi after biting a patient.