Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
A genomic cluster of vsp genes was previously shown to mediate high-frequency phenotypic switching of surface lipoprotein antigens in the bovine pathogen Mycoplasma bovis. This study revealed that field strains of M. bovis possess modified versions of the vsp gene complex in which extensive sequence variations occur primarily in the reiterated coding sequences of the vsp structural genes. These findings demonstrate that there is a vastly expanded potential for antigenic variation within populations of this organism.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Nussbaum et al. (2002) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: