Antigenic Variation of a Relapsing Fever Borrelia Species

INTRODUCTION . . . 155 IMMUNOLOGY OF RELAPSING FEVER . . . 156 THE VARIABLE ANTIGENS ARE OUTER MEMBRANE PROTEINS . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . . 161 ANTIGENIC V ARIA TION IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF DNA REARRANGEMENTS 162 Vrnp GENES ARE ON LINEAR PLASMIDS 163 RECOMBINATION BETWEEN LINEAR PLASMIDS 164 CONCLUDING REMARKS 168