TLR2 gene adaptive variability as a determinant of the prevalenace Of Lyme disease in bank vole populations of two phylogenetic lineages in north-eastern Poland

Aim of this project was to check if in north-eastern Poland bank voles from two mtDNA lineages differ in the frequencies of variants of TLR2 genes connected with different susceptibility for Lyme disease. Sequencing analysis of TLR2 allow me to answer the question, if within the study area occur variants of gene which determine higher resistance to Lyme disease. Collected voles were tested for the presence of Borreliaafzelli DNA.
Aims of the project were: to describe genetic diversity of TLR2 and find out if the variants of TLR2 gene, considered as responsible for lower Lyme disease prevalence, occur in the bank vole populations in north-eastern Poland. Second aim was to determine the infection rate of Borreliaafzelli in the bank vole populations and its comparison with frequencies of different TLR2 clusters to test differences in Lyme disease prevalence among them. Moreover, I wanted to explore what climatic, environmental and biological traits may influence Lyme disease infection rate among bank voles in NE Poland.