P13 antigens from Borrelia

An isolated nucleic acid molecule which

• encodes a first polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:
• 19 or a second polypeptide which is at least one epitope of the first polypeptide, wherein the second polypeptide binds specifically in a western blot analysis with a rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against a third polypeptide having an apparent molecular weight of 13 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE followed by visualization, wherein said third polypeptide is derived from Borrelia burgdorferi B313 and encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 18, and wherein said rabbit polyclonal antibody does not bind specifically in a western blot analysis with proteins from at least 95% of spirochaetes randomly selected from the group consisting of Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia crocidurae, Borrelia anserina, and Borrelia hispanica;
• or
• hybridises readily under highly stringent hybridization conditions of 5-10° C. below the melting point (Tm) with SEQ ID NO:
• 18, or with a DNA molecule complementary thereto, but fails to readily hybridize under highly stringent hybridization conditions of 5-10° C. under the Tm with genomic DNA from at least 95% of spirochaetes randomly selected from the group consisting of Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia crocidurae, Borrelia anserina, and Borrelia hispanica;
• or
• encodes a first polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:
• 19 or a second polypeptide which is at least one epitope of the first polypeptide, wherein the second polypeptide binds specifically in a western blot analysis with a rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against a third polpeptide having an apparent molecular weight of 13 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE followed by visualization, said third polypeptide derived from Borrelia burgdorferi B313 and being encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 18, and wherein said rabbit polyclonal antibody does not bind specifically in a western blot analysis with proteins from at least 95% of spirochaetes randomly selected from the group consisting of Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia crocidurae, Borrelia anserina, and Borrelia hispanica;
• and hybridises readily under highly stringent hybridization conditions of 5-10° C. below the Tm with SEQ ID NO:
• 18, or with a DNA molecule complementary thereto, but fails to readily hybridize under highly stringent hybridization conditions of 5-10° C. under the Tm with genomic DNA from at least 95% of spirochaetes randomly selected from the group consisting of Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia crocidurae, Borrelia anserina, and Borrelia hispanica.