Analysis of antibody response to invariable regions of VlsE, the variable surface antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi

VlsE, the variable surface antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi, consists of mo invariable domains at the amino and carboxyl termini and one central variab le domain. The latter contains six invariable regions, IR1 to IR6, and six variable regions. In the present study; the antigenicity of all of the inva riable regions in B. burgdorferi-infected monkeys, humans, and mice was ass essed by peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Only one invaria ble region, IR6, was antigenic in all, animals of the three host species. I R2 and IR4 were also antigenic in mice.