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Lun X, Shi Y, Wang Y, Zhao N, Liu Q, Meng F, Song X, Wang J, Lu L. Transcriptome analysis of Kunming mice responses to the bite of Xenopsylla cheopis. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:250. [PMID: 38849919 PMCID: PMC11157846 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06331-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flea bites could trigger a series of complex molecular responses in the host. However, our understanding of the responses at the molecular level is still relatively limited. This study quantifies the changes in gene expression in mice after flea bites by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) from their spleens, revealing the potential biological effects of host response to flea bites. METHODS RNA-seq was used for transcriptome analysis to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control mice group and the flea bite mice group. Gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed on DEGs. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis on DEGs related to immune processes was performed. Finally, we randomly selected several genes from the screened DEGs to validate the results from the transcriptome data by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS A total of 521 DEGs were identified, including 277 upregulated and 244 downregulated. There were 258 GO terms significantly enriched by upregulated DEGs and 419 GO terms significantly enriched by downregulated DEGs. Among the upregulated DEGs, 22 GO terms were associated with immune cells (e.g., B cells and T cells) and immune regulatory processes, while among the downregulated DEGs, 58 GO terms were associated with immune cells and immune regulatory processes. Through PPI analysis, we found that CD40 molecules with significantly downregulated expression levels after flea bites may play an important role in host immune regulation. Through KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, a total of 26 significantly enriched KEGG pathways were identified. The RT-qPCR analysis results indicated that the transcriptome sequencing results were reliable. CONCLUSIONS Through in-depth analysis of transcriptome changes in mice caused by flea bites, we revealed that flea bites could stimulate a series of biological and immunological responses in mice. These findings not only provided a deeper understanding of the impact of flea bites on the host but also provided a basis for further research on the interaction between ectoparasites and the host. We believe that digging deeper into the significance of these transcriptome changes will help reveal more about the adaptive response of the host to ectoparasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinchang Lun
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Shi
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
- School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiguan Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiyong Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengxia Meng
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuping Song
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Lu
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China.
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Lu W, Xiao Z, Liao H, Xie J, Gao Y, Xiong W, Zeng Q, Deng Z, Wu J, Chai J, Chen X, Xu X. FS145, the first flea-derived disintegrin, inhibits angiogenesis through specifically binding integrin α vβ 3. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 259:129289. [PMID: 38211910 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
FS145, a protein containing a WGD motif, was previously described from the salivary transcriptome of the flea Xenopsylla cheopis. Nevertheless, its biological function and complete structure are still uncertain. Herein, FS145 was confirmed to adopt a common αββ structure with the WGD motif exposed on its surface and located right at the top of a loop composed of residues 72-81. Furthermore, FS145 dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation, adhesion, migration, and tube formation of HUVECs by not only binding to integrin αvβ3 but also by subsequently inactivating the FAK/Src/MAPK pathway along with the reduction of the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGFA, bFGF, Ang2, Tie2, HIF-1α, and FAK. Moreover, FS145 also inhibited aortic vessel sprout and showed strong anti-angiogenic activities as assessed ex vivo, by employing the rat aortic ring assay, chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane, and zebrafish embryo models. Altogether, our results suggest that FS145 suppresses angiogenesis ex vivo and in vitro by blocking integrin αvβ3. The current study reveals the first anti-angiogenesis disintegrin with WGD motif from invertebrates and provides a beneficial pharmacological activity to inhibit abnormal angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wancheng Lu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhijian Xiao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Hang Liao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jianpeng Xie
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Yihan Gao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Weichen Xiong
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Qingye Zeng
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhenhui Deng
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jiena Wu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jinwei Chai
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Xueqing Xu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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Lu S, Andersen JF, Bosio CF, Hinnebusch BJ, Ribeiro JM. Acid phosphatase-like proteins, a biogenic amine and leukotriene-binding salivary protein family from the flea Xenopsylla cheopis. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1280. [PMID: 38110569 PMCID: PMC10728186 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05679-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The salivary glands of hematophagous arthropods contain pharmacologically active molecules that interfere with host hemostasis and immune responses, favoring blood acquisition and pathogen transmission. Exploration of the salivary gland composition of the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, revealed several abundant acid phosphatase-like proteins whose sequences lacked one or two of their presumed catalytic residues. In this study, we undertook a comprehensive characterization of the tree most abundant X. cheopis salivary acid phosphatase-like proteins. Our findings indicate that the three recombinant proteins lacked the anticipated catalytic activity and instead, displayed the ability to bind different biogenic amines and leukotrienes with high affinity. Moreover, X-ray crystallography data from the XcAP-1 complexed with serotonin revealed insights into their binding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Lu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - John F Andersen
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christopher F Bosio
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - B Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - José M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Boyde A, Mills D, Abba AM, Ezquiaga MC. Fleas and lesions in armadillo osteoderms. J Anat 2023; 242:1029-1036. [PMID: 36862639 PMCID: PMC10184550 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Armadillos are bitten by several species of flea. Females of the genus Tunga penetrate the epidermis and when in place are fertilised by males, after which the abdomen swells enormously to form a 'neosome'. Within the penetrans group, T. perforans, makes lesions that perforate the osteoderms within the integument to form ~3 mm diameter cavities occupied by a discoid neosome. We examined these lesions in carapace material from animals which had died in the wild to see whether we could recruit evidence as to how they may be generated, either by the insect or by the host. We studied one species without such lesions, the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus, and two species with, the greater hairy armadillo Chaetophractus villosus and the southern three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes matacus, both showing the characteristic 'flea bite' holes in the external surfaces of the osteoderms. Samples were studied by three-dimensional backscattered electron mode scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microtomography. Both methods showed resorption pit complexes in the external surfaces of the osteoderms characteristic of those made by osteoclasts in active bone resorption. Lesions involved both the syndesmoses (sutures) between adjacent bones and the central regions of the osteoderms. Many lesions showed extensive repair by infilling with new bone. We conclude that the T. perforans neosome creates a local host response which causes bone resorption, creating the space in which it can grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Boyde
- Dental Physical Sciences, Barts' and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - David Mills
- Dental Physical Sciences, Barts' and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Agustin Manuel Abba
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) UNLP‐CONICETLa PlataArgentina
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Lu S, Martin-Martin I, Ribeiro JM, Calvo E. A deeper insight into the sialome of male and female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:135. [PMID: 36941562 PMCID: PMC10027276 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09236-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION During evolution, blood-feeding arthropods developed a complex salivary mixture that can interfere with host haemostatic and immune response, favoring blood acquisition and pathogen transmission. Therefore, a survey of the salivary gland contents can lead to the identification of molecules with potent pharmacological activity in addition to increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the hematophagic behaviour of arthropods. The southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, is a vector of several pathogenic agents, including viruses and filarial parasites that can affect humans and wild animals. RESULTS Previously, a Sanger-based transcriptome of the salivary glands (sialome) of adult C. quinquefasciatus females was published based on the sequencing of 503 clones organized into 281 clusters. Here, we revisited the southern mosquito sialome using an Illumina-based RNA-sequencing approach of both male and female salivary glands. Our analysis resulted in the identification of 7,539 coding DNA sequences (CDS) that were functionally annotated into 25 classes, in addition to 159 long non-coding RNA (LncRNA). Additionally, comparison of male and female libraries allowed the identification of female-enriched transcripts that are potentially related to blood acquisition and/or pathogen transmission. CONCLUSION Together, these findings represent an extended reference for the identification and characterization of the proteins containing relevant pharmacological activity in the salivary glands of C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Lu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ines Martin-Martin
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Lu S, Danchenko M, Macaluso KR, Ribeiro JMC. Revisiting the sialome of the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279070. [PMID: 36649293 PMCID: PMC9844850 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The hematophagous behaviour emerged independently in several instances during arthropod evolution. Survey of salivary gland and saliva composition and its pharmacological activity led to the conclusion that blood-feeding arthropods evolved a distinct salivary mixture that can interfere with host defensive response, thus facilitating blood acquisition and pathogen transmission. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is the major vector of several pathogens, including Rickettsia typhi, Rickettsia felis and Bartonella spp. and therefore, represents an important insect species from the medical and veterinary perspectives. Previously, a Sanger-based sialome of adult C. felis female salivary glands was published and reported 1,840 expressing sequence tags (ESTs) which were assembled into 896 contigs. Here, we provide a deeper insight into C. felis salivary gland composition using an Illumina-based sequencing approach. In the current dataset, we report 8,892 coding sequences (CDS) classified into 27 functional classes, which were assembled from 42,754,615 reads. Moreover, we paired our RNAseq data with a mass spectrometry analysis using the translated transcripts as a reference, confirming the presence of several putative secreted protein families in the cat flea salivary gland homogenates. Both transcriptomic and proteomic approaches confirmed that FS-H-like proteins and acid phosphatases lacking their putative catalytic residues are the two most abundant salivary proteins families of C. felis and are potentially related to blood acquisition. We also report several novel sequences similar to apyrases, odorant binding proteins, antigen 5, cholinesterases, proteases, and proteases inhibitors, in addition to putative novel sequences that presented low or no sequence identity to previously deposited sequences. Together, the data represents an extended reference for the identification and characterization of the pharmacological activity present in C. felis salivary glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Lu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Monika Danchenko
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
| | - José M. C. Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
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Lu S, Martin-Martin I, Ribeiro JM, Calvo E. A deeper insight into the sialome of male and female Ochlerotatus triseriatus mosquitoes. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 147:103800. [PMID: 35787945 PMCID: PMC9494274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 20 years, advancements in sequencing technologies have highlighted the unique composition of the salivary glands of blood-feeding arthropods. Further biochemical and structural data demonstrated that salivary proteins can disrupt host hemostasis, inflammation and immunity, which favors pathogen transmission. Previously, a Sanger-based sialome of adult Ochlerotatus triseriatus female salivary glands was published based on 731 expressed sequence tag (ESTs). Here, we revisited O. triseriatus salivary gland contents using an Illumina-based sequencing approach of both male and female tissues. In the current data set, we report 10,317 DNA coding sequences classified into several functional classes. The translated transcripts also served as a reference database for proteomic analysis of O. triseriatus female saliva, in which unique peptides from 101 proteins were found. Finally, comparison of male and female libraries allowed for the identification of female-enriched transcripts that are potentially related to blood acquisition and virus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Lu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ines Martin-Martin
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jose M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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