Glycerophosphodiester Phosphodiesterase Gene ( glpQ ) of Borrelia lonestari Identified as a Target for Differentiating Borrelia Species Associated with Hard Ticks (Acari:Ixodidae)

A glpQ ortholog was identified in DNA from Borrelia lonestari-positive Amblyomma americanum, providing further evidence that B. lonestari is more closely related to the relapsing fever group spirochetes than to borreliae that cause Lyme disease. This finding provides a basis for developing diagnostic assays to differentiate species of borrelia transmitted by hard ticks.