PCR primers for RT-PCR inventory of I. ricinus genes coding for anticomplement proteins.

Forward primers IRI and IXO were designed manually from the 5�� end of coding sequences of anticomplement proteins available at the start of this project from I. ricinus and Ixodes spp. respectively. The trinucleotide ACC was added 5��to the start codon to improve eukaryotic expression. Commercial reverse primers Generacer 3�� and Not1 are available from Invitrogen and Amersham Biosciences, respectively. Family-specific reverse primers were designed from UTR or coding sequences of the different subfamilies of tick anticomplement proteins as indicated. Calculated mean melting temperatures (Tm) are also indicated. CDS, coding sequences; UTR, untranslated region; SG, salivary gland.