Genetic information about the seabird-tick-Borrelia host-parasite system

Sequences of population genetic marquers (microsatellites) and flabB gene of Borrelia burdgoferi obtained as part of a CNRS/IPEV (French Polar Institute) research program aiming at examining the response of animal populations to environmental variability at different spatial scales. The study system is a host-parasite system at three levels, involving arctic seabirds as hosts, the tick Ixodes uriae as their ectoparasite and Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi as a microparasite. The role of the variability in host phenotypic responses (immunology and behaviour) and of the coevolution between the hosts and the vector tick for the ecology and evolution of such interactions at different scales are studied. In addition to laboratory analyses, the approach combines field experiment to the analyses of data and samples collected in a spatialised context.

Genebank access numbers and references of the corresponding scientific papers are given below (as well as access to the corresponding PDFs):

Microsatellite sequences for seabird tick Ixodes uriae (9 sequences):
Genbank accession numbers AF293324-AF293332.
Reference: McCoy, K.D. & C. Tirard. 2000. Isolation and characterisation of microsatellites in the seabird ectoparasite Ixodes uriae. Molecular Ecology 9: 2213-2214. (PDF available at: http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/esp/en/T_Boulinier.htm)

Sequences of 463bp of the Cytochrome Oxidase, subunit III gene used for a phylogeographic analysis of host race formation in Ixodes uriae (49 sequences)
Genbank accession numbers: EU849503–EU849551.
Reference: Kempf, F., T. Boulinier, T. DeMee�s, C. Arthanau, & K.D. McCoy. 2009. Recent evolution of host-associated divergence in the seabird tick Ixodes uriae. Molecular Ecology 18: 4450-4462. (PDF available at: http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/esp/en/T_Boulinier.htm)

Microsatellite sequence for Uria aalge (1 sequence):
'HC6' GenBank accession number: AY359959
Reference: Riffaut, L., McCoy, K.D., Tirard, C., Friesen, V.L. & Boulinier, T. 2005. Population genetics of the common guillemot Uria aalge in the North Atlantic: geographic impact of oil spills. Marine Ecological Progress Series 291: 263-273. (PDF available at: http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/esp/en/T_Boulinier.htm)

Sequences for phylogenetic reconstruction of marine isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi using 611 bp of the flaB gene (31 sequences):
Genbank accession numbers EF154357–EF154390; EU567327–EU567329
Reference: Duneau, D., T. Boulinier, E. Gomez-Diaz, A. Petersen, T. Tveraa, R.T. Barrett, & K.D. McCoy. 2008. Prevalence and diversity of Lyme borreliosis bacteria in marine birds. Infection, Genetics & Evolution 8: 352-359. (PDF available at: http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/esp/en/T_Boulinier.htm)