Pleomorphic Variants of Borreliella (syn. Borrelia) burgdorferi Express Evolutionary Distinct Transcriptomes

The objective of the study was to uncover the transcriptional differences between B. burgdorferi pleomorphic forms (spirochetes, round bodies, blebs and biofilms). Spirochetes were raised in BSK-H medium containing 6% rabbit serum in conical tubes with a tightly closed lid. Round bodies were gained by resuspending and incubating spirochetes in molecular-biology grade water for 10-30 minutes. Blebs were raised by adding spirochetes into conical tubes with a vented lid. Biofilms were induced by cultivation of spirochetes in tissue-culture dishes. Each sample was represented in three replicates, except the bleb samples which were represented in two replicates.