Genetic features of DNA of Borrelia miyamotoi transmitted by Ixodes persulcatus

16S rRNA, p66 and glpQ gene fragments in Borrelia miyamotoi transmitted by Ixodes persulcatus are determined and analyzed. Specific nucleotide sequences of every locus have been shown to be identical. The highest homology level for nucleotide sequences of three loci has been shown for the sequences of strains isolated earlier in Japan. An analysis of the P66 protein amino-acid sequence has shown that the locus corresponding to the surface-exposed domain differs considerably from both Borrelia hermsii, a typical member of tick-borne relapsing fever and Borrelia lonestari, the closest related species. Three genetic variants of Borrelia miyamotoi P66 protein is characterized not only by amino-acid substitutions, but also by deletions.