Borrelia burgdorferi loses essential genetic elements and cell proliferative potential during stationary phase in culture but not in the tick vector.

The article discusses a study on Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, focusing on its ability to survive in different environments. The research found that when the bacterium is starved in culture, it loses essential genetic elements and cell proliferative potential, but this does not occur when it is in the tick vector. The study suggests that the tick vector provides a unique environment that supports the maintenance of the bacterium's genome and cell proliferative potential during periods of fasting. [Extracted from the article]