Which of these bacterial chromosomes is linear? A: Borrelia burgdorferi; B: Bordetella pertussis; or C: Clostridium botulinum.

ANSWER: Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete, has a linear chromosome. It is the causative agent of Lyme disease and was named after Willy Burgdorfer, the scientist who first isolated the bacterium in 1982.

originally published 09/08/2010

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