TABLE 1.

Oligonucleotides used in this study

Oligonucleotide designation	Sequence (5′-3′)	Function	Reference
A	GGCCATGGGAAGAAGGAG	Amplification of ospD and flanking regions	This study
B	CAATCCTATTACTGCGGG	Amplification of ospD and flanking regions	This study
C	AGATCTGATGGAAGTAAGGAAGGAAGa	Inverse PCR for construction of suicide vector	This study
D	AGATCTTATTTATACTCCTTAAATATAATGTCa	Inverse PCR for construction of suicide vector	This study
E	CACCGTTCATGATAAACAAGAATTATCb	Amplification of ospD for expression in E. coli	This study
F	AGTATTTAACAAGGCCACAAC	Amplification of ospD for expression in E. coli	This study
G	AGAAGCGGTTATAAATGCAGTT	ospD forward QPCR primer	This study
H	TCTGCCATTTGAGCTAAATCAT	ospD reverse QPCR primer	This study
I	AATTTCATCTGCTGCAGATCAAGTAAAAAGTGc	ospD QPCR probe	This study
flaB FWD	TCTTTTCTCTGGTGAGGGAGCT	flaB forward QPCR primer	23
flaB REV	TCCTTCCTGTTGAACACCCTCT	flaB reverse QPCR primer	23
flaB PROBE	AAACTGCTCAGGCTGCACCGGTTCc	flaB QPCR probe	23
J	ACGGATTCTAATGCGGTTTTACTT	ospC forward QPCR primer	This study
K	CAATAGCTTTAGCAGCAATTTCATCT	ospC reverse QPCR primer	This study
L	CTGTGAAAGAGGTTGAAGCGTTGCTGTCATc	ospC QPCR probe	This study
M	GATCATGTTCGAGACCTTCA	Tick actin forward QPCR primer	28
N	CGATACCCGTGGTACGA	Tick actin reverse QPCR primer	28
O	CCATCCAGGCCGTGCTCTCc	Tick actin QPCR probe	28

^aThe BglII restriction enzyme sequence is underlined.

^bUnderlined nucleotides were added for directional cloning in the expression vector.

^cTaqMan probes were labeled at the 5′ end with FAM (6-carboxyfluorescein) and at the 3′ end with TAMRA (6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine).