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Rodriguez-Valle M, Moolhuijzen P, Barrero RA, Ong CT, Busch G, Karbanowicz T, Booth M, Clark R, Koehbach J, Ijaz H, Broady K, Agnew K, Knowles AG, Bellgard MI, Tabor AE. Transcriptome and toxin family analysis of the paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:71-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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52
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Esteves E, Maruyama SR, Kawahara R, Fujita A, Martins LA, Righi AA, Costa FB, Palmisano G, Labruna MB, Sá-Nunes A, Ribeiro JMC, Fogaça AC. Analysis of the Salivary Gland Transcriptome of Unfed and Partially Fed Amblyomma sculptum Ticks and Descriptive Proteome of the Saliva. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:476. [PMID: 29209593 PMCID: PMC5702332 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are obligate blood feeding ectoparasites that transmit a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms to their vertebrate hosts. Amblyomma sculptum is vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), the most lethal rickettsiosis that affects humans. It is known that the transmission of pathogens by ticks is mainly associated with the physiology of the feeding process. Pathogens that are acquired with the blood meal must first colonize the tick gut and later the salivary glands (SG) in order to be transmitted during a subsequent blood feeding via saliva. Tick saliva contains a complex mixture of bioactive molecules with anticlotting, antiplatelet aggregation, vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties to counteract both the hemostasis and defense mechanisms of the host. Besides facilitating tick feeding, the properties of saliva may also benefits survival and establishment of pathogens in the host. In the current study, we compared the sialotranscriptome of unfed A. sculptum ticks and those fed for 72 h on rabbits using next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The total of reads obtained were assembled in 9,560 coding sequences (CDSs) distributed in different functional classes. CDSs encoding secreted proteins, including lipocalins, mucins, protease inhibitors, glycine-rich proteins, metalloproteases, 8.9 kDa superfamily members, and immunity-related proteins were mostly upregulated by blood feeding. Selected CDSs were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction preceded by reverse transcription (RT-qPCR), corroborating the transcriptional profile obtained by RNA-seq. Finally, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed 124 proteins in saliva of ticks fed for 96–120 h. The corresponding CDSs of 59 of these proteins were upregulated in SG of fed ticks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the proteome of A. sculptum saliva. The functional characterization of the identified proteins might reveal potential targets to develop vaccines for tick control and/or blocking of R. rickettsii transmission as well as pharmacological bioproducts with antihemostatic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Esteves
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra R Maruyama
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Rebeca Kawahara
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Fujita
- Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa A Martins
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adne A Righi
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson Sá-Nunes
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José M C Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andréa C Fogaça
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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53
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Mans BJ, Featherston J, de Castro MH, Pienaar R. Gene Duplication and Protein Evolution in Tick-Host Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:413. [PMID: 28993800 PMCID: PMC5622192 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks modulate their hosts' defense responses by secreting a biopharmacopiea of hundreds to thousands of proteins and bioactive chemicals into the feeding site (tick-host interface). These molecules and their functions evolved over millions of years as ticks adapted to blood-feeding, tick lineages diverged, and host-shifts occurred. The evolution of new proteins with new functions is mainly dependent on gene duplication events. Central questions around this are the rates of gene duplication, when they occurred and how new functions evolve after gene duplication. The current review investigates these questions in the light of tick biology and considers the possibilities of ancient genome duplication, lineage specific expansion events, and the role that positive selection played in the evolution of tick protein function. It contrasts current views in tick biology regarding adaptive evolution with the more general view that neutral evolution may account for the majority of biological innovations observed in ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary ResearchOnderstepoort, South Africa.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa.,Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South AfricaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Jonathan Featherston
- Agricultural Research Council-The Biotechnology PlatformOnderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Minique H de Castro
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary ResearchOnderstepoort, South Africa.,Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South AfricaPretoria, South Africa.,Agricultural Research Council-The Biotechnology PlatformOnderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary ResearchOnderstepoort, South Africa
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54
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de Castro MH, de Klerk D, Pienaar R, Rees DJG, Mans BJ. Sialotranscriptomics of Rhipicephalus zambeziensis reveals intricate expression profiles of secretory proteins and suggests tight temporal transcriptional regulation during blood-feeding. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:384. [PMID: 28797301 PMCID: PMC5553602 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2312-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks secrete a diverse mixture of secretory proteins into the host to evade its immune response and facilitate blood-feeding, making secretory proteins attractive targets for the production of recombinant anti-tick vaccines. The largely neglected tick species, Rhipicephalus zambeziensis, is an efficient vector of Theileria parva in southern Africa but its available sequence information is limited. Next generation sequencing has advanced sequence availability for ticks in recent years and has assisted the characterisation of secretory proteins. This study focused on the de novo assembly and annotation of the salivary gland transcriptome of R. zambeziensis and the temporal expression of secretory protein transcripts in female and male ticks, before the onset of feeding and during early and late feeding. RESULTS The sialotranscriptome of R. zambeziensis yielded 23,631 transcripts from which 13,584 non-redundant proteins were predicted. Eighty-six percent of these contained a predicted start and stop codon and were estimated to be putatively full-length proteins. A fifth (2569) of the predicted proteins were annotated as putative secretory proteins and explained 52% of the expression in the transcriptome. Expression analyses revealed that 2832 transcripts were differentially expressed among feeding time points and 1209 between the tick sexes. The expression analyses further indicated that 57% of the annotated secretory protein transcripts were differentially expressed. Dynamic expression profiles of secretory protein transcripts were observed during feeding of female ticks. Whereby a number of transcripts were upregulated during early feeding, presumably for feeding site establishment and then during late feeding, 52% of these were downregulated, indicating that transcripts were required at specific feeding stages. This suggested that secretory proteins are under stringent transcriptional regulation that fine-tunes their expression in salivary glands during feeding. No open reading frames were predicted for 7947 transcripts. This class represented 17% of the differentially expressed transcripts, suggesting a potential transcriptional regulatory function of long non-coding RNA in tick blood-feeding. CONCLUSIONS The assembled sialotranscriptome greatly expands the sequence availability of R. zambeziensis, assists in our understanding of the transcription of secretory proteins during blood-feeding and will be a valuable resource for future vaccine candidate selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minique Hilda de Castro
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa.,Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa.,College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Daniel de Klerk
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - D Jasper G Rees
- Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa.,College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa. .,College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa. .,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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55
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Budachetri K, Kumar D, Karim S. Catalase is a determinant of the colonization and transovarial transmission of Rickettsia parkeri in the Gulf Coast tick Amblyomma maculatum. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 26:414-419. [PMID: 28370634 PMCID: PMC5496812 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) has evolved as a competent vector of the spotted-fever group rickettsia, Rickettsia parkeri. In this study, the functional role of catalase, an enzyme responsible for the degradation of toxic hydrogen peroxide, in the colonization of the tick vector by R. parkeri and transovarial transmission of this pathogen to the next tick generation, was investigated. Catalase gene (CAT) expression in midgut, salivary glands and ovarian tissues exhibited a 2-11-fold increase in transcription level upon R. parkeri infection. Depletion of CAT transcripts using an RNA-interference approach significantly reduced R. parkeri infection levels in midgut and salivary gland tissues by 53-63%. The role of CAT in transovarial transmission of R. parkeri was confirmed by simultaneously blocking the transcript and the enzyme by injecting double-stranded RNA for CAT and a catalase inhibitor (3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) into gravid females. Simultaneous inhibition of the CAT transcript and the enzyme significantly reduced the egg conversion ratio with a 44% reduction of R. parkeri transovarial transmission. These data suggest that catalase is required for rickettsial colonization of the tick vector and transovarial transmission to the next generation.
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56
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Hackenberg M, Langenberger D, Schwarz A, Erhart J, Kotsyfakis M. In silico target network analysis of de novo-discovered, tick saliva-specific microRNAs reveals important combinatorial effects in their interference with vertebrate host physiology. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2017; 23:1259-1269. [PMID: 28473453 PMCID: PMC5513070 DOI: 10.1261/rna.061168.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The hard tick Ixodes ricinus is an important disease vector whose salivary secretions mediate blood-feeding success on vertebrate hosts, including humans. Here we describe the expression profiles and downstream analysis of de novo-discovered microRNAs (miRNAs) expressed in I. ricinus salivary glands and saliva. Eleven tick-derived libraries were sequenced to produce 67,375,557 Illumina reads. De novo prediction yielded 67 bona fide miRNAs out of which 35 are currently not present in miRBase. We report for the first time the presence of microRNAs in tick saliva, obtaining furthermore molecular indicators that those might be of exosomal origin. Ten out of these microRNAs are at least 100 times more represented in saliva. For the four most expressed microRNAs from this subset, we analyzed their combinatorial effects upon their host transcriptome using a novel in silico target network approach. We show that only the inclusion of combinatorial effects reveals the functions in important pathways related to inflammation and pain sensing. A control set of highly abundant microRNAs in both saliva and salivary glands indicates no significant pathways and a far lower number of shared target genes. Therefore, the analysis of miRNAs from pure tick saliva strongly supports the hypothesis that tick saliva miRNAs can modulate vertebrate host homeostasis and represents the first direct evidence of tick miRNA-mediated regulation of vertebrate host gene expression at the tick-host interface. As such, the herein described miRNAs may support future drug discovery and development projects that will also experimentally question their predicted molecular targets in the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hackenberg
- Computational Genomics and Bioinformatics Group, Genetics Department, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, PTS, 18100 Granada, Spain
| | - David Langenberger
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany
- ecSeq Bioinformatics, D-04275 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexandra Schwarz
- Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Budweis, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Erhart
- Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Budweis, Czech Republic
| | - Michail Kotsyfakis
- Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Budweis, Czech Republic
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57
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Kazimírová M, Thangamani S, Bartíková P, Hermance M, Holíková V, Štibrániová I, Nuttall PA. Tick-Borne Viruses and Biological Processes at the Tick-Host-Virus Interface. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:339. [PMID: 28798904 PMCID: PMC5526847 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are efficient vectors of arboviruses, although less than 10% of tick species are known to be virus vectors. Most tick-borne viruses (TBV) are RNA viruses some of which cause serious diseases in humans and animals world-wide. Several TBV impacting human or domesticated animal health have been found to emerge or re-emerge recently. In order to survive in nature, TBV must infect and replicate in both vertebrate and tick cells, representing very different physiological environments. Information on molecular mechanisms that allow TBV to switch between infecting and replicating in tick and vertebrate cells is scarce. In general, ticks succeed in completing their blood meal thanks to a plethora of biologically active molecules in their saliva that counteract and modulate different arms of the host defense responses (haemostasis, inflammation, innate and acquired immunity, and wound healing). The transmission of TBV occurs primarily during tick feeding and is a complex process, known to be promoted by tick saliva constituents. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of TBV transmission are poorly understood. Immunomodulatory properties of tick saliva helping overcome the first line of defense to injury and early interactions at the tick-host skin interface appear to be essential in successful TBV transmission and infection of susceptible vertebrate hosts. The local host skin site of tick attachment, modulated by tick saliva, is an important focus of virus replication. Immunomodulation of the tick attachment site also promotes co-feeding transmission of viruses from infected to non-infected ticks in the absence of host viraemia (non-viraemic transmission). Future research should be aimed at identification of the key tick salivary molecules promoting virus transmission, and a molecular description of tick-host-virus interactions and of tick-mediated skin immunomodulation. Such insights will enable the rationale design of anti-tick vaccines that protect against disease caused by tick-borne viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mária Kazimírová
- Department of Medical Zoology, Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of SciencesBratislava, Slovakia
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TX, United States
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TX, United States
- Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TX, United States
| | - Pavlína Bartíková
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of SciencesBratislava, Slovakia
| | - Meghan Hermance
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TX, United States
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TX, United States
- Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TX, United States
| | - Viera Holíková
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of SciencesBratislava, Slovakia
| | - Iveta Štibrániová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of SciencesBratislava, Slovakia
| | - Patricia A. Nuttall
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxford, United Kingdom
- Centre for Ecology and HydrologyWallingford, United Kingdom
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58
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Cabezas-Cruz A, Mateos-Hernández L, Chmelař J, Villar M, de la Fuente J. Salivary Prostaglandin E2: Role in Tick-Induced Allergy to Red Meat. Trends Parasitol 2017; 33:495-498. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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59
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Šimo L, Kazimirova M, Richardson J, Bonnet SI. The Essential Role of Tick Salivary Glands and Saliva in Tick Feeding and Pathogen Transmission. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:281. [PMID: 28690983 PMCID: PMC5479950 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As long-term pool feeders, ticks have developed myriad strategies to remain discreetly but solidly attached to their hosts for the duration of their blood meal. The critical biological material that dampens host defenses and facilitates the flow of blood-thus assuring adequate feeding-is tick saliva. Saliva exhibits cytolytic, vasodilator, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and immunosuppressive activity. This essential fluid is secreted by the salivary glands, which also mediate several other biological functions, including secretion of cement and hygroscopic components, as well as the watery component of blood as regards hard ticks. When salivary glands are invaded by tick-borne pathogens, pathogens may be transmitted via saliva, which is injected alternately with blood uptake during the tick bite. Both salivary glands and saliva thus play a key role in transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to vertebrate hosts. During their long co-evolution with ticks and vertebrate hosts, microorganisms have indeed developed various strategies to exploit tick salivary molecules to ensure both acquisition by ticks and transmission, local infection and systemic dissemination within the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladislav Šimo
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
| | - Maria Kazimirova
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of SciencesBratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jennifer Richardson
- UMR Virologie, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sarah I. Bonnet
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
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60
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Chmelař J, Kotál J, Langhansová H, Kotsyfakis M. Protease Inhibitors in Tick Saliva: The Role of Serpins and Cystatins in Tick-host-Pathogen Interaction. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:216. [PMID: 28611951 PMCID: PMC5447049 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The publication of the first tick sialome (salivary gland transcriptome) heralded a new era of research of tick protease inhibitors, which represent important constituents of the proteins secreted via tick saliva into the host. Three major groups of protease inhibitors are secreted into saliva: Kunitz inhibitors, serpins, and cystatins. Kunitz inhibitors are anti-hemostatic agents and tens of proteins with one or more Kunitz domains are known to block host coagulation and/or platelet aggregation. Serpins and cystatins are also anti-hemostatic effectors, but intriguingly, from the translational perspective, also act as pluripotent modulators of the host immune system. Here we focus especially on this latter aspect of protease inhibition by ticks and describe the current knowledge and data on secreted salivary serpins and cystatins and their role in tick-host-pathogen interaction triad. We also discuss the potential therapeutic use of tick protease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindřich Chmelař
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jan Kotál
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of SciencesČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Helena Langhansová
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of SciencesČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Michail Kotsyfakis
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of SciencesČeské Budějovice, Czechia
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61
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Rangel CK, Parizi LF, Sabadin GA, Costa EP, Romeiro NC, Isezaki M, Githaka NW, Seixas A, Logullo C, Konnai S, Ohashi K, da Silva Vaz I. Molecular and structural characterization of novel cystatins from the taiga tick Ixodes persulcatus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:432-441. [PMID: 28174118 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cystatins are cysteine peptidase inhibitors that in ticks mediate processes such as blood feeding and digestion. The ixodid tick Ixodes persulcatus is endemic to the Eurasia, where it is the principal vector of Lyme borreliosis. To date, no I. persulcatus cystatin has been characterized. In the present work, we describe three novel cystatins from I. persulcatus, named JpIpcys2a, JpIpcys2b and JpIpcys2c. In addition, the potential of tick cystatins as cross-protective antigens was evaluated by vaccination of hamsters using BrBmcys2c, a cystatin from Rhipicephalus microplus, against I. persulcatus infestation. Sequence analysis showed that motifs that are characteristic of cystatins type 2 are fully conserved in JpIpcys2b, while mutations are present in both JpIpcys2a and JpIpcys2c. Protein-protein docking simulations further revealed that JpIpcys2a, JpIpcys2b and JpIpcys2c showed conserved binding sites to human cathepsins L, all of them covering the active site cleft. Cystatin transcripts were detected in different I. persulcatus tissues and instars, showing their ubiquitous expression during I. persulcatus development. Serological analysis showed that although hamsters immunized with BrBmcys2c developed a humoral immune response, this response was not adequate to protect against a heterologous challenge with I. persulcatus adult ticks. The lack of cross-protection provided by BrBmcys2c immunization is perhaps linked to the fact that cystatins cluster into multigene protein families that are expressed differentially and exhibit functional redundancy. How to target such small proteins that are secreted in low quantities remains a challenge in the development of suitable anti-tick vaccine antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina K Rangel
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Luís F Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Gabriela A Sabadin
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Evenilton P Costa
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacases, 28035-200, RJ, Brazil
| | - Nelilma C Romeiro
- LICC-Laboratório Integrado de Computação Científica-Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro-Campus Macaé, Macaé, 27901-000, RJ, Brazil
| | - Masayoshi Isezaki
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Naftaly W Githaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Adriana Seixas
- Departamento de Farmacociências, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Brazil
| | - Carlos Logullo
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacases, 28035-200, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Brazil
| | - Satoru Konnai
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Ohashi
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Brazil.
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62
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Ribeiro JMC, Slovák M, Francischetti IMB. An insight into the sialome of Hyalomma excavatum. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 8:201-207. [PMID: 28049606 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Tick saliva contains hundreds or thousands of proteins that help blood feeding by impairing their hosts' hemostasis, inflammation and immunity. Salivary gland transcriptomes allow the disclosure of this pharmacologically active potion that consists of several multi-gene families, many of which are tick-specific. We here report the "de novo" assembly of ∼138 million reads deriving from a cDNA library from salivary glands of adult male and female Hyalomma excavatum leading to the public deposition of 5337 coding sequences to GenBank. Among the deducted putative secreted proteins, metalloproteases, glycine rich proteins, mucins, anticoagulants of the madanin family and lipocalins were the most expressed. Novel protein families were identified. These sequences will permit proteomic studies aiming at identification of target antigens, epidemiological markers or salivary pharmaceuticals of interest, and contribute to our understanding of the fast evolution of the tick sialome.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M C Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda MD 20852, USA.
| | - Mirko Slovák
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Ivo M B Francischetti
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda MD 20852, USA.
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63
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Molecular and functional characterization of Bm05br antigen from Rhipicephalus microplus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 8:320-329. [PMID: 28043800 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus microplus is a cattle-specific tick, causing considerable losses in the livestock industry. The identification of molecules responsible for modulation of host defenses during different parasite stages can help in the development of alternative methods, such as vaccination, to control tick infestations. Hq05, a protein of unknown function identified in the tick Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis, induced a significant protective immune response when used as a vaccine in sheep. In the present study, we investigated Bm05br, the Hq05 homologous gene from R. microplus. Besides H. qinghaiensis, Bm05br homologous found in other tick species such as Rhipicephalus annulatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Haemaphysalis longicornis and Ixodes scapularis were comparatively analyzed. Bm05br expression profile in different R. microplus tissues and life-stages was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Bm05br was detected in ovaries, salivary glands and the fat body of both partially and fully engorged females. The highest transcription levels were observed in partially engorged females fat body and salivary glands. Gene knockdown by RNAi reduced egg hatching rate and the weight of tick larvae obtained from treated group, when compared to controls. These results indicate that Bm05br may be involved in R. microplus reproduction. Together with its distribution and high sequence conservation across different tick species, our data suggest Bm05br as a potential antigen for development of a multispecies anti-tick vaccine.
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64
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Porretta D, Latrofa MS, Dantas-Torres F, Mastrantonio V, Iatta R, Otranto D, Urbanelli S. Exon-intron structure and sequence variation of the calreticulin gene among Rhipicephalus sanguineus group ticks. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:640. [PMID: 27955695 PMCID: PMC5154033 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1909-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Calreticulin proteins (CRTs) are important components of tick saliva, which is involved in the blood meal success, pathogen transmission and host allergic responses. The characterization of the genes encoding for salivary proteins, such as CRTs, is pivotal to understand the mechanisms of tick-host interaction during blood meal and to develop tick control strategies based on their inhibition. In hard ticks, crt genes were shown to have only one intron with conserved position among species. In this study we investigated the exon-intron structure and variation of the crt gene in Rhipicephalus spp. ticks in order to assess the crt exon-intron structure and the potential utility of crt gene as a molecular marker. Methods We sequenced the exon-intron region of crt gene in ticks belonging to so-called tropical and temperate lineages of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato), Rhipicephalus sp. I, Rhipicephalus sp. III, Rhipicephalus sp. IV, R. guilhoni, R. muhsamae and R. turanicus. Genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships between the sequences obtained were estimated. Results All individuals belonging to the tropical lineage of R. sanguineus (s.l.), R. guilhoni, R. muhsamae, R. turanicus, Rhipicephalus sp. III and Rhipicephalus sp. IV analysed showed crt intron-present alleles. However, both crt intron-present and intron-absent alleles were found in Rhipicephalus sp. I and the temperate lineage of R. sanguineus (s.l.), showing the occurrence of an intraspecific intron presence-absence polymorphism. Phylogenetic relationships among the crt intron-present sequences showed distinct lineages for all taxa, with the tropical and temperate lineages of R. sanguineus (s.l.) being more closely related to each other. Conclusions We expanded previous studies about the characterization of crt gene in hard ticks. Our results highlighted a previously overlooked variation in the crt structure among Rhipicephalus spp., and among hard ticks in general. Notably, the intron presence/absence polymorphism observed herein can be a candidate study-system to investigate the early stages of intron gain/loss before fixation at species level and some debated questions about intron evolution. Finally, the sequence variation observed supports the suitability of the crt gene for molecular recognition of Rhipicephalus spp. and for phylogenetic studies in association with other markers. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1909-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Porretta
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.,Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 50740465, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Roberta Iatta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
| | - Sandra Urbanelli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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65
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Deviant Behavior: Tick-Borne Pathogens and Inflammasome Signaling. Vet Sci 2016; 3:vetsci3040027. [PMID: 29056735 PMCID: PMC5606592 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci3040027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the face of an assault, host cells mount an immediate response orchestrated by innate immunity. Two of the best described innate immune signaling networks are the Toll- and the Nod-like receptor pathways. Extensive work has been done characterizing both signaling cascades with several recent advances on the forefront of inflammasome biology. In this review, we will discuss how more commonly-studied pathogens differ from tick-transmitted microbes in the context of Nod-like receptor signaling and inflammasome formation. Because pathogens transmitted by ticks have unique characteristics, we offer the opinion that these microbes can be used to uncover novel principles of Nod-like receptor biology.
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66
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de la Fuente J, Waterhouse RM, Sonenshine DE, Roe RM, Ribeiro JM, Sattelle DB, Hill CA. Tick Genome Assembled: New Opportunities for Research on Tick-Host-Pathogen Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2016; 6:103. [PMID: 27695689 PMCID: PMC5024572 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2016.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As tick-borne diseases are on the rise, an international effort resulted in the sequence and assembly of the first genome of a tick vector. This result promotes research on comparative, functional and evolutionary genomics and the study of tick-host-pathogen interactions to improve human, animal and ecosystem health on a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK, USA
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical SchoolGeneva, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsGeneva, Switzerland; Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - R Michael Roe
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jose M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Catherine A Hill
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN, USA
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67
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Manzano-Román R, Díaz-Martín V, Oleaga A, Obolo-Mvoulouga P, Pérez-Sánchez R. TSGP4 from Ornithodoros moubata: molecular cloning, phylogenetic analysis and vaccine efficacy of a new member of the lipocalin clade of cysteinyl leukotriene scavengers. Vet Parasitol 2016; 227:130-7. [PMID: 27523949 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Recently obtained evidence indicated that an orthologue of the O. savignyi TSGP4 salivary lipocalin was present in the saliva of O. moubata. TSGP4 is known to act as a cysteinyl leukotrienes scavenger helping in the prevention of inflammation and oedema at the tick bite site. Since this function seems to be crucial for successful tick feeding, the novel O. moubata TSGP4 turned into a potential vaccine target. The purposes of the current work were: (i) to clone and characterize the O. moubata TSGP4 and, (ii) to produce it as recombinant to evaluate its protective efficacy as vaccine antigen. The results of these experiments indicated that the O. moubata TSGP4 shows high sequence and structural identity with the O. savignyi orthologue suggesting identical function in the physiology of the tick-host relationship. The mature native TSGP4 is not immunogenic when it is inoculated to host with tick saliva during feeding, but host vaccination with the recombinant protein TSGP4 in Freund's adjuvants induced strong humoral immune responses that recognized both the recombinant and native TSGP4 and protected the host with a 14.1% efficacy. So, the O. moubata TSGP4 can be considered a silent salivary antigen; however, in the light of the current results, its inclusion in the current repertory of protective antigens to be targeted by anti-tick vaccines could be controversial.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Manzano-Román
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - V Díaz-Martín
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - A Oleaga
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - P Obolo-Mvoulouga
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - R Pérez-Sánchez
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
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68
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Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of pathogens and secreted neurotoxins with approximately 69 out of 692 tick species having the ability to induce severe toxicoses in their hosts. The Australian paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is known to be one of the most virulent tick species producing a flaccid paralysis and fatalities caused by a family of neurotoxins known as holocyclotoxins (HTs). The paralysis mechanism of these toxins is temperature dependent and is thought to involve inhibition of acetylcholine levels at the neuromuscular junction. However, the target and mechanism of this inhibition remain uncharacterised. Here, we report that three members of the holocyclotoxin family; HT-1 (GenBank AY766147), HT-3 (GenBank KP096303) and HT-12 (GenBank KP963967) induce muscle paralysis by inhibiting the dependence of transmitter release on extracellular calcium. Previous study was conducted using extracts from tick salivary glands, while the present study is the first to use pure toxins from I. holocyclus. Our findings provide greater insight into the mechanisms by which these toxins act to induce paralysis.
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69
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Chand KK, Lee KM, Lavidis NA, Rodriguez-Valle M, Ijaz H, Koehbach J, Clark RJ, Lew-Tabor A, Noakes PG. Tick holocyclotoxins trigger host paralysis by presynaptic inhibition. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29446. [PMID: 27389875 PMCID: PMC4937380 DOI: 10.1038/srep29446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of pathogens and secreted neurotoxins with approximately 69 out of 692 tick species having the ability to induce severe toxicoses in their hosts. The Australian paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is known to be one of the most virulent tick species producing a flaccid paralysis and fatalities caused by a family of neurotoxins known as holocyclotoxins (HTs). The paralysis mechanism of these toxins is temperature dependent and is thought to involve inhibition of acetylcholine levels at the neuromuscular junction. However, the target and mechanism of this inhibition remain uncharacterised. Here, we report that three members of the holocyclotoxin family; HT-1 (GenBank AY766147), HT-3 (GenBank KP096303) and HT-12 (GenBank KP963967) induce muscle paralysis by inhibiting the dependence of transmitter release on extracellular calcium. Previous study was conducted using extracts from tick salivary glands, while the present study is the first to use pure toxins from I. holocyclus. Our findings provide greater insight into the mechanisms by which these toxins act to induce paralysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirat K Chand
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Kah Meng Lee
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Nickolas A Lavidis
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Manuel Rodriguez-Valle
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture &Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
| | - Hina Ijaz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Johannes Koehbach
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Richard J Clark
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Ala Lew-Tabor
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture &Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Comparative Genomics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Peter G Noakes
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
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