burgdorferi genospecies. Therefore, we performed an analysis of the total lipid extracts of a wide spectrum of genospecies of B. burgdorferi sensu lato using thin-layer chromatography as well as Western blot and dot-blot assays. We show that ACGal is present in substantial quantities in all B. burgdorferi genospecies tested. Therefore, this molecule might improve the serological

selleck inhibitor detection of rarely pathogenic genospecies, and may be used as a protective vaccine regardless of the prevailing genospecies. Lyme disease (LD) is a multisystemic, often chronic infectious disease prevalent in Europe, North America, and Asia. In endemic areas, LD reaches an incidence of up to 160 cases per 100 000 (Berglund et al., 1995; Strle, 1999). The clinical manifestations are divided into early and late manifestations: early localized check details disease is characterized by erythema migrans. Disseminated early

disease primarily encompasses neuroborreliosis, lymphocytoma, or myocarditis. Late manifestations predominantly comprise Lyme arthritis, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, and rarely late neuroborreliosis (Huppertz et al., 1999). LD diagnosis is based on the clinical signs and serodiagnosis using ELISA and confirmative immunoblots (Wilske et al., 2007). A number of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies are etiologic agents of LD causing early localized as well as early and late stages of disseminated disease: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto,

Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. Furthermore, the OspA serotype Unoprostone 4 of B. garinii, which has been associated with LD affecting the skin and CNS (Wilske et al., 1993), was recently delineated as a novel genospecies, Borrelia bavariensis (Margos et al., 2009). To the contrary, Borrelia spielmanii causes the localized stage while disseminated disease caused by this agent has not been reported as yet (Fingerle et al., 2008). Three further genospecies are rarely found in skin biopsies and only in single cases in CSF or cardiac tissue. The pathogenic potential of these genospecies, namely Borrelia bissettii (Fingerle et al., 2008; Rudenko et al., 2008), Borrelia valaisiana (Diza et al., 2004), and Borrelia lusitaniae (Collares-Pereira et al., 2004), remains unclear. Furthermore, eight genospecies of the group have been found only in ticks or in animals, for example Borrelia japonica (Kawabata et al., 1993), and are considered nonpathogenic for humans. We and others have identified 6-O-acylated cholesteryl β-d-galactopyranosides (ACGal) as the major glycolipids in B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, and B. garinii (Ben-Menachem et al., 2003; Schröder et al., 2003; Stübs et al., 2009). On the other hand, Borrelia hermsii – the causative agent of relapsing fever – contains 6-O-acylated cholesteryl β-d-glucopyranosides (ACGlc) (Stübs et al., 2009).