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Bourgeois JS, McCarthy JE, Turk SP, Bernard Q, Clendenen LH, Wormser GP, Marcos LA, Dardick K, Telford SR, Marques AR, Hu LT. Peromyscus leucopus , Mus musculus , and humans have distinct transcriptomic responses to larval Ixodes scapularis bites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.02.592193. [PMID: 38746284 PMCID: PMC11092580 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.592193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks are an important vector for at least six tick-borne human pathogens, including the predominant North American Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi . The ability for these ticks to survive in nature is credited, in part, to their ability to feed on a variety of hosts without excessive activation of the proinflammatory branch of the vertebrate immune system. While the ability for nymphal ticks to feed on a variety of hosts has been well-documented, the host-parasite interactions between larval I. scapularis and different vertebrate hosts is relatively unexplored. Here we report on the changes in the vertebrate transcriptome present at the larval tick bite site using the natural I. scapularis host Peromyscus leucopus deermouse, a non-natural rodent host Mus musculus (BALB/c), and humans. We note substantially less evidence of activation of canonical proinflammatory pathways in P. leucopus compared to BALB/c mice and pronounced evidence of inflammation in humans. Pathway enrichment analyses revealed a particularly strong signature of interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin 1 signaling at the BALB/c and human tick bite site. We also note that bite sites on BALB/c mice and humans, but not deermice, show activation of wound-healing pathways. These data provide molecular evidence of the coevolution between larval I. scapularis and P. leucopus as well as expand our overall understanding of I. scapularis feeding. Significance Ixodes scapularis tick bites expose humans to numerous diseases in North America. While larval tick feeding enables pathogens to enter the tick population and eventually spread to humans, how larval ticks interact with mammals has been understudied compared to other tick stages. Here we examined the transcriptomic response of a natural I. scapularis rodent host ( Peromyscus leucopus ), a non-native I. scapularis rodent host ( Mus musculus ), and an incidental host (humans). We find that there are differences in how all three species respond to larval I. scapularis , with the natural host producing the smallest transcriptomic signature of a canonical proinflammatory immune response and the incidental human host producing the most robust signature of inflammation in response to the larval tick. These data expand our understanding of the pressures on ticks in the wild and inform our ability to model these interactions in laboratory settings.
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Karim S, Leyva-Castillo JM, Narasimhan S. Tick salivary glycans - a sugar-coated tick bite. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:1100-1113. [PMID: 37838514 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.012] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are hematophagous arthropods that transmit disease-causing pathogens worldwide. Tick saliva deposited into the tick-bite site is composed of an array of immunomodulatory proteins that ensure successful feeding and pathogen transmission. These salivary proteins are often glycosylated, and glycosylation is potentially critical for the function of these proteins. Some salivary glycans are linked to the phenomenon of red meat allergy - an allergic response to red meat consumption in humans exposed to certain tick species. Tick salivary glycans are also invoked in the phenomenon of acquired tick resistance wherein non-natural host species exposed to tick bites develop an immune response that thwarts subsequent tick feeding. This review dwells on our current knowledge of these two phenomena, thematically linked by salivary glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Karim
- University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
| | - Juan Manuel Leyva-Castillo
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven-06520, CT, USA.
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3
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Narasimhan S, Booth CJ, Philipp MT, Fikrig E, Embers ME. Repeated Tick Infestations Impair Borrelia burgdorferi Transmission in a Non-Human Primate Model of Tick Feeding. Pathogens 2023; 12:132. [PMID: 36678479 PMCID: PMC9861725 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the predominant vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease in the USA. Natural hosts of I. scapularis such as Peromyscus leucopus are repeatedly infested by these ticks without acquiring tick resistance. However, upon repeated tick infestations, non-natural hosts such as guinea pigs, mount a robust immune response against critical tick salivary antigens and acquire tick resistance able to thwart tick feeding and Borrelia burgdorferi transmission. The salivary targets of acquired tick resistance could serve as vaccine targets to prevent tick feeding and the tick transmission of human pathogens. Currently, there is no animal model able to demonstrate both tick resistance and diverse clinical manifestations of Lyme disease. Non-human primates serve as robust models of human Lyme disease. By evaluating the responses to repeated tick infestation, this animal model could accelerate our ability to define the tick salivary targets of acquired resistance that may serve as vaccines to prevent the tick transmission of human pathogens. Towards this goal, we assessed the development of acquired tick resistance in non-human primates upon repeated tick infestations. We report that following repeated tick infestations, non-human primates do not develop the hallmarks of acquired tick resistance observed in guinea pigs. However, repeated tick infestations elicit immune responses able to impair the tick transmission of B. burgdorferi. A mechanistic understanding of the protective immune responses will provide insights into B. burgdorferi-tick-host interactions and additionally contribute to anti-tick vaccine discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Carmen J. Booth
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mario T. Philipp
- Division of Bacteriology & Parasitology, Tulane School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Monica E. Embers
- Division of Bacteriology & Parasitology, Tulane School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Trentelman JJA, de Vogel FA, Colstrup E, Sima R, Coumou J, Koetsveld J, Klouwens MJ, Nayak A, Ersoz J, Barriales D, Tomás-Cortázar J, Narasimhan S, Hajdusek O, Anguita J, Hovius JW. Identification of novel conserved Ixodes vaccine candidates; a promising role for non-secreted salivary gland proteins. Vaccine 2022; 40:7593-7603. [PMID: 36357287 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.10.032] [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: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes scapularis are the main vectors for the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis and a wide range of other pathogens. Repeated tick-bites are known to lead to tick rejection; a phenomenon designated as tick immunity. Tick immunity is mainly directed against tick salivary gland proteins (TSGPs) and has been shown to partially protect against experimental Lyme borreliosis. TSGPs recognized by antibodies from tick immune animals could therefore be interesting candidates for an anti-tick vaccine, which might also block pathogen transmission. To identify conserved Ixodes TSGPs that could serve as a universal anti-tick vaccine in both Europe and the US, a Yeast Surface Display containing salivary gland genes of nymphal I. ricinus expressed at 24, 48 and 72 h into tick feeding was probed with either sera from rabbits repeatedly exposed for 24 h to I. ricinus nymphal ticks and/or sera from rabbits immune to I. scapularis. Thus, we identified thirteen TSGP vaccine candidates, of which ten were secreted. For vaccination studies in rabbits, we selected six secreted TSGPs, five full length and one conserved peptide. None of these proteins hampered tick feeding. In contrast, vaccination of guinea pigs with four non-secreted TSGPs - two from the current and two from a previous human immunoscreening - did significantly reduce tick attachment and feeding. Therefore, non-secreted TSGPs appear to be involved in the development of tick immunity and are interesting candidates for an anti-tick vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jos J A Trentelman
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Fons A de Vogel
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Emil Colstrup
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Radek Sima
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Biopticka laborator s.r.o., Plzen, Czech Republic
| | - Jeroen Coumou
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joris Koetsveld
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michelle J Klouwens
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Abhijeet Nayak
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasmin Ersoz
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Diego Barriales
- CIC bioGUNE-Basque Research & Technology Alliance, Derio 48160, Spain
| | - Julen Tomás-Cortázar
- CIC bioGUNE-Basque Research & Technology Alliance, Derio 48160, Spain; UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Juan Anguita
- CIC bioGUNE-Basque Research & Technology Alliance, Derio 48160, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48012, Spain
| | - Joppe W Hovius
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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5
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Couret J, Schofield S, Narasimhan S. The environment, the tick, and the pathogen - It is an ensemble. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1049646. [PMID: 36405964 PMCID: PMC9666722 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1049646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis is one of the predominant vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease in the USA. The geographic distribution of I. scapularis, endemic to the northeastern and northcentral USA, is expanding as far south as Georgia and Texas, and northwards into Canada and poses an impending public health problem. The prevalence and spread of tick-borne diseases are influenced by the interplay of multiple factors including microbiological, ecological, and environmental. Molecular studies have focused on interactions between the tick-host and pathogen/s that determine the success of pathogen acquisition by the tick and transmission to the mammalian host. In this review we draw attention to additional critical environmental factors that impact tick biology and tick-pathogen interactions. With a focus on B. burgdorferi we highlight the interplay of abiotic factors such as temperature and humidity as well as biotic factors such as environmental microbiota that ticks are exposed to during their on- and off-host phases on tick, and infection prevalence. A molecular understanding of this ensemble of interactions will be essential to gain new insights into the biology of tick-pathogen interactions and to develop new approaches to control ticks and tick transmission of B. burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannelle Couret
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Samantha Schofield
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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6
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Lynn GE, Černý J, Kurokawa C, Diktaş H, Matias J, Sajid A, Arora G, DePonte K, Narasimhan S, Fikrig E. Immunization of guinea pigs with cement extract induces resistance against Ixodes scapularis ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102017. [PMID: 35963188 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102017] [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: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As hematophagous parasites, many tick species are important vectors of medical and veterinary disease agents. Proteins found in tick saliva and midgut have been used with some success in immunizations of animal hosts against feeding ticks, and whole saliva has been used effectively in this capacity against Ixodes scapularis, the primary vector of tickborne pathogens in the United States. Tick saliva is a complex substance containing hundreds of proteins, and the identification of specific protective antigens is ongoing. We performed a series of experiments immunizing guinea pigs with extracts prepared from midgut or attachment cement collected from adult female I. scapularis followed by challenge with nymphs of the same species. Midgut extract did not induce protective immunity, while immunization with cement extract resulted in partial protection of hosts as evidenced by premature tick detachment and 34-41% reduction in tick engorgement weights. Proteomic characterization of I. scapularis cement was performed, demonstrating that the cement extract was compositionally different from tick saliva, and vitellogenin-like lipoproteins were the most abundant proteins in cement extract (>40%). Cement was also heavily enriched with lysozymes and defensins, including those originating from both the mammalian host as well as ticks. These results demonstrate that I. scapularis cement contains immunogenic components capable of stimulating host resistance against tick feeding. Because the cement is present at the tick-host interface for an extended period of time during the feeding process, these antigens present auspicious candidates for further evaluation and potential inclusion in an anti-tick vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Lynn
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States.
| | - Jiří Černý
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Praha-Suchdol, CZ 16500, Czechia
| | - Cheyne Kurokawa
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States
| | - Hüsrev Diktaş
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States
| | - Jaqueline Matias
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States
| | - Andaleeb Sajid
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States
| | - Gunjan Arora
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States
| | - Kathleen DePonte
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06420, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
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7
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Medina JM, Jmel MA, Cuveele B, Gómez-Martín C, Aparicio-Puerta E, Mekki I, Kotál J, Martins LA, Hackenberg M, Bensaoud C, Kotsyfakis M. Transcriptomic analysis of the tick midgut and salivary gland responses upon repeated blood-feeding on a vertebrate host. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:919786. [PMID: 35992165 PMCID: PMC9386188 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.919786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are blood-feeding arthropods that use the components of their salivary glands to counter the host’s hemostatic, inflammatory, and immune responses. The tick midgut also plays a crucial role in hematophagy. It is responsible for managing blood meals (storage and digestion) and protecting against host immunity and pathogen infections. Previous transcriptomic studies revealed the complexity of tick sialomes (salivary gland transcriptomes) and mialomes (midgut transcriptomes) which encode for protease inhibitors, lipocalins (histamine-binding proteins), disintegrins, enzymes, and several other tick-specific proteins. Several studies have demonstrated that mammalian hosts acquire tick resistance against repeated tick bites. Consequently, there is an urgent need to uncover how tick sialomes and mialomes respond to resistant hosts, as they may serve to develop novel tick control strategies and applications. Here, we mimicked natural repeated tick bites in a laboratory setting and analyzed gene expression dynamics in the salivary glands and midguts of adult female ticks. Rabbits were subjected to a primary (feeding on a naive host) and a secondary infestation of the same host (we re-exposed the hosts but to other ticks). We used single salivary glands and midguts dissected from individual siblings adult pathogen-free female Ixodes ricinus to reduce genetic variability between individual ticks. The comprehensive analysis of 88 obtained RNA-seq data sets allows us to provide high-quality annotated sialomes and mialomes from individual ticks. Comparisons between fed/unfed, timepoints, and exposures yielded as many as 3000 putative differentially expressed genes (DEG). Interestingly, when classifying the exposure DEGs by means of a clustering approach we observed that the majority of these genes show increased expression at early feeding time-points in the mid-gut of re-exposed ticks. The existence of clearly defined groups of genes with highly similar responses to re-exposure suggests the existence of molecular swiches. In silico functional analysis shows that these early feeding reexposure response genes form a dense interaction network at protein level being related to virtually all aspects of gene expression regulation and glycosylation. The processed data is available through an easy-to-use database-associated webpage (https://arn.ugr.es/IxoriDB/) that can serve as a valuable resource for tick research.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Medina
- Dpto. de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Lab. de Bioinformática, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, PTS, Instituto de Biotecnología, Granada, Spain
| | - Mohamed Amine Jmel
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czechia
| | - Brent Cuveele
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czechia
| | - Cristina Gómez-Martín
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Program Imaging and Biomarkers, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ernesto Aparicio-Puerta
- Dpto. de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Lab. de Bioinformática, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, PTS, Instituto de Biotecnología, Granada, Spain
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Imen Mekki
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Jan Kotál
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czechia
| | | | - Michael Hackenberg
- Dpto. de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Lab. de Bioinformática, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, PTS, Instituto de Biotecnología, Granada, Spain
| | - Chaima Bensaoud
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Michail Kotsyfakis, ; Chaima Bensaoud,
| | - Michail Kotsyfakis
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Michail Kotsyfakis, ; Chaima Bensaoud,
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8
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Ali A, Zeb I, Alouffi A, Zahid H, Almutairi MM, Ayed Alshammari F, Alrouji M, Termignoni C, Vaz IDS, Tanaka T. Host Immune Responses to Salivary Components - A Critical Facet of Tick-Host Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:809052. [PMID: 35372098 PMCID: PMC8966233 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.809052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick sialome is comprised of a rich cocktail of bioactive molecules that function as a tool to disarm host immunity, assist blood-feeding, and play a vibrant role in pathogen transmission. The adaptation of the tick's blood-feeding behavior has lead to the evolution of bioactive molecules in its saliva to assist them to overwhelm hosts' defense mechanisms. During a blood meal, a tick secretes different salivary molecules including vasodilators, platelet aggregation inhibitors, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory proteins, and inhibitors of complement activation; the salivary repertoire changes to meet various needs such as tick attachment, feeding, and modulation or impairment of the local dynamic and vigorous host responses. For instance, the tick's salivary immunomodulatory and cement proteins facilitate the tick's attachment to the host to enhance prolonged blood-feeding and to modulate the host's innate and adaptive immune responses. Recent advances implemented in the field of "omics" have substantially assisted our understanding of host immune modulation and immune inhibition against the molecular dynamics of tick salivary molecules in a crosstalk between the tick-host interface. A deep understanding of the tick salivary molecules, their substantial roles in multifactorial immunological cascades, variations in secretion, and host immune responses against these molecules is necessary to control these parasites. In this article, we reviewed updated knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying host responses to diverse elements in tick saliva throughout tick invasion, as well as host defense strategies. In conclusion, understanding the mechanisms involved in the complex interactions between the tick salivary components and host responses is essential to decipher the host defense mechanisms against the tick evasion strategies at tick-host interface which is promising in the development of effective anti-tick vaccines and drug therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Ismail Zeb
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hafsa Zahid
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Mashal M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahdah Ayed Alshammari
- College of Sciences and Literature Microbiology, Nothern Border University, Rafha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alrouji
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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9
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Maldonado-Ruiz LP, Boorgula GD, Kim D, Fleming SD, Park Y. Tick Intrastadial Feeding and Its Role on IgE Production in the Murine Model of Alpha-gal Syndrome: The Tick "Transmission" Hypothesis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:844262. [PMID: 35309294 PMCID: PMC8930817 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.844262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have provided strong evidence indicating that lone star tick bites are a cause of AGS (alpha-gal syndrome, also known as red meat allergy RMA) in humans. AGS is characterized by an increase in IgE antibody production against galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (aGal), which is a common glycan found in mammalian tissue, except in Old World monkeys and humans. The main causative factor of AGS, the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), is broadly distributed throughout the east and midwest of the United States and is a vector of a wide range of human and animal pathogens. Our earlier glycomics study of the salivary glands of partially fed male and female ticks revealed relatively high levels of aGal epitopes. In this study, we found that partially fed males of A. americanum on bovine blood, which engage in multiple intrastadial feedings, carry a large amount of aGal in the salivary glands. In our current work, we aimed to test whether ticks mediate the transmission of the aGal sensitizer acquired from nonhuman blood to humans in the intrastadial host switch (referred to as the "transmission" hypothesis). To test this hypothesis, we used an alpha-galactosyltransferase knockout mutant mouse (aGT-KO) model system infested with ticks that were unfed or partially fed on bovine blood. Based on the levels of total IgE and specific IgG and IgE antibodies against aGal after tick feedings, aGT-KO mice significantly responded to tick feeding and injection of aGal (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc) conjugated to human serum albumin or mouse serum albumin (aGal-HSA or aGal-MSA) by increasing total IgE and aGal-specific IgE levels compared to those in C57BL/6 control mice. All of the treatments of aGT-KO mice involving the feeding of partially fed and unfed ticks functioned as sensitizers that increased the levels of specific IgE against aGal, with large individual variations. The data in this study do not support the "transmission" component of AGS, although they confirmed that aGT-KO mice can be used as a model for RMA studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Donghun Kim
- Department of Entomology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Sherry D. Fleming
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
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10
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Sajid A, Matias J, Arora G, Kurokawa C, DePonte K, Tang X, Lynn G, Wu MJ, Pal U, Strank NO, Pardi N, Narasimhan S, Weissman D, Fikrig E. mRNA vaccination induces tick resistance and prevents transmission of the Lyme disease agent. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabj9827. [PMID: 34788080 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj9827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks transmit many pathogens that cause human disease, including Borrelia burgdorferi. Acquired resistance to I. scapularis due to repeated tick exposure has the potential to prevent tick-borne infectious diseases, and salivary proteins have been postulated to contribute to this process. We examined the ability of lipid nanoparticle–containing nucleoside-modified mRNAs encoding 19 I. scapularis salivary proteins (19ISP) to enhance the recognition of a tick bite and diminish I. scapularis engorgement on a host and thereby prevent B. burgdorferi infection. Guinea pigs were immunized with a 19ISP mRNA vaccine and subsequently challenged with I. scapularis. Animals administered 19ISP developed erythema at the bite site shortly after ticks began to attach, and these ticks fed poorly, marked by early detachment and decreased engorgement weights. 19ISP immunization also impeded B. burgdorferi transmission in the guinea pigs. The effective induction of local redness early after I. scapularis attachment and the inability of the ticks to take a normal blood meal suggest that 19ISP may be used either alone or in conjunction with traditional pathogen-based vaccines for the prevention of Lyme disease, and potentially other tick-borne infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andaleeb Sajid
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jaqueline Matias
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Gunjan Arora
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Cheyne Kurokawa
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kathleen DePonte
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Xiaotian Tang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Geoffrey Lynn
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ming-Jie Wu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20472, USA
- Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD 20472, USA
| | - Norma Olivares Strank
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Drew Weissman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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11
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Ferreira Leal B, Sanchez Ferreira CA. Ticks and antibodies: May parasite density and tick evasion influence the outcomes following immunization protocols? Vet Parasitol 2021; 300:109610. [PMID: 34735848 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are a major concern to human health and livestock worldwide, being responsible for economic losses that go beyond billions of US dollars per year. This scenario instigates the development of vaccines against these ectoparasites, emphasized by the fact that the main method of controlling ticks still relies on the use of acaricides, what increases costs and may affect the environment as well as human and animal health. The first commercial vaccines against ectoparasites were produced against the tick Rhipicephalus microplus and their efficacy were based on antibodies. Many additional attempts have been conducted to produce protective immune responses against ticks by immunization with specific antigens and the antibody response has usually been the main target of evaluation. But some controversy still populates the roles possibly performed by humoral responses in tick-mammalian host relationships. This review focuses on the analysis of specific aspects concerning antibodies and ticks, especially the influence of parasite density and evasion/modulation. The immunization trials already described against R. microplus were also compiled and analyzed based on the characteristics of the molecules tested, protocols of immunization and tick challenge. Within these issues, it is discussed if or when antibody levels can be directly correlated with the development of tick resistance, and whether anti-tick protective immune responses generated by infestations may become ineffective under a different tick density. Also, higher titers of antibodies can be correlated with protection or susceptibility to tick infestations, what may be altered following continuous or repeated infestations and differ greatly comparing hosts with distinct genetic backgrounds. Regarding evasion, ticks present a sophisticated mechanism for dealing with antibodies, including Immunoglobulin Binding Proteins (IGBPs), that capture, transport and inject them back into the host, while keeping their properties within the parasite. The comparison of immunization protocols shows a total of 22 molecules already tested in cattle vaccination trials against R. microplus, with the predominance of concealed and dual antigens as well as marked differences in tick challenge schemes. The presence of an antibody evasion apparatus and variable levels of tick resistance when facing different densities of parasites are concerns that should be considered when testing vaccine candidates. Ultimately, more refinement may be necessary to effectively design a cocktail vaccine with tick molecules, which may be needed to be altered and combined in non-competing immune contexts to be universally secure and protective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Ferreira Leal
- Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6681, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Carlos Alexandre Sanchez Ferreira
- Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6681, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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12
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Bobe JR, Jutras BL, Horn EJ, Embers ME, Bailey A, Moritz RL, Zhang Y, Soloski MJ, Ostfeld RS, Marconi RT, Aucott J, Ma'ayan A, Keesing F, Lewis K, Ben Mamoun C, Rebman AW, McClune ME, Breitschwerdt EB, Reddy PJ, Maggi R, Yang F, Nemser B, Ozcan A, Garner O, Di Carlo D, Ballard Z, Joung HA, Garcia-Romeu A, Griffiths RR, Baumgarth N, Fallon BA. Recent Progress in Lyme Disease and Remaining Challenges. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:666554. [PMID: 34485323 PMCID: PMC8416313 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.666554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with an estimated 476,000 cases per year. While historically, the long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has been controversial, mounting evidence supports the idea that a substantial number of patients experience persistent symptoms following treatment. The research community has largely lacked the necessary funding to properly advance the scientific and clinical understanding of the disease, or to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Given the many outstanding questions raised into the diagnosis, clinical presentation and treatment of Lyme disease, and the underlying molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease, there is an urgent need for more support. This review article summarizes progress over the past 5 years in our understanding of Lyme and tick-borne diseases in the United States and highlights remaining challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R. Bobe
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Brandon L. Jutras
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | | | - Monica E. Embers
- Tulane University Health Sciences, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Allison Bailey
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mark J. Soloski
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Richard T. Marconi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - John Aucott
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Avi Ma'ayan
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Kim Lewis
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Alison W. Rebman
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mecaila E. McClune
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Edward B. Breitschwerdt
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | | | - Ricardo Maggi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Frank Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Bennett Nemser
- Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, Stamford, CT, United States
| | - Aydogan Ozcan
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Omai Garner
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Zachary Ballard
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hyou-Arm Joung
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Albert Garcia-Romeu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roland R. Griffiths
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Nicole Baumgarth
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases and the Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Brian A. Fallon
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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13
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van Oosterwijk JG, Wikel SK. Resistance to Ticks and the Path to Anti-Tick and Transmission Blocking Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:725. [PMID: 34358142 PMCID: PMC8310300 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The medical and veterinary public health importance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens is increasing due to the expansion of the geographic ranges of both ticks and pathogens, increasing tick populations, growing incidence of tick-borne diseases, emerging tick transmitted pathogens, and continued challenges of achieving effective and sustained tick control. The past decades show an increasing interest in the immune-mediated control of tick infestations and pathogen transmission through the use of vaccines. Bovine tick resistance induced by repeated infestations was reported over a century ago. This review addresses the phenomena and immunological underpinning of resistance to tick infestation by livestock and laboratory animals; the scope of tick countermeasures to host immune defenses; and the impact of genomics, functional genomics, and proteomics on dissecting complex tick-host-pathogen interactions. From early studies utilizing tick tissue extracts to salivary gland derived molecules and components of physiologically important pathways in tick gut and other tissues, an increased understanding of these relationships, over time, impacted the evolution of anti-tick vaccine antigen selection. Novel antigens continue to emerge, including increased interest in the tick microbiome. Anti-tick and transmission blocking vaccines targeting pathogen reservoirs have the potential to disrupt enzootic cycles and reduce human, companion, domestic animal, and wildlife exposure to infected ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen K. Wikel
- US Biologic Inc., 20 Dudley Street, Memphis, TN 38103, USA;
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT 06518, USA
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14
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Kitsou C, Fikrig E, Pal U. Tick host immunity: vector immunomodulation and acquired tick resistance. Trends Immunol 2021; 42:554-574. [PMID: 34074602 PMCID: PMC10089699 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Ticks have an unparalleled ability to parasitize diverse land vertebrates. Their natural persistence and vector competence are supported by the evolution of sophisticated hematophagy and remarkable host immune-evasion activities. We analyze the immunomodulatory roles of tick saliva which facilitates their acquisition of a blood meal from natural hosts and allows pathogen transmission. We also discuss the contrasting immunological events of tick-host associations in non-reservoir or incidental hosts, in which the development of acquired tick resistance can deter tick attachment. A critical appraisal of the intricate immunobiology of tick-host associations can plant new seeds of innovative research and contribute to the development of novel preventive strategies against ticks and tick-transmitted infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA.
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15
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Tick-human interactions: from allergic klendusity to the α-Gal syndrome. Biochem J 2021; 478:1783-1794. [PMID: 33988703 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ticks and the pathogens they transmit, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths, constitute a growing burden for human and animal health worldwide. The ability of some animal species to acquire resistance to blood-feeding by ticks after a single or repeated infestation is known as acquired tick resistance (ATR). This resistance has been associated to tick-specific IgE response, the generation of skin-resident memory CD4+ T cells, basophil recruitment, histamine release, and epidermal hyperplasia. ATR has also been associated with protection to tick-borne tularemia through allergic klendusity, a disease-escaping ability produced by the development of hypersensitivity to an allergen. In addition to pathogen transmission, tick infestation in humans is associated with the α-Gal syndrome (AGS), a type of allergy characterized by an IgE response against the carbohydrate Galα1-3Gal (α-Gal). This glycan is present in tick salivary proteins and on the surface of tick-borne pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agents of Lyme disease and granulocytic anaplasmosis. Most α-Gal-sensitized individuals develop IgE specific against this glycan, but only a small fraction develop the AGS. This review summarizes our current understanding of ATR and its impact on the continuum α-Gal sensitization, allergy, and the AGS. We propose that the α-Gal-specific IgE response in humans is an evolutionary adaptation associated with ATR and allergic klendusity with the trade-off of developing AGS.
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16
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Boulanger N, Wikel S. Induced Transient Immune Tolerance in Ticks and Vertebrate Host: A Keystone of Tick-Borne Diseases? Front Immunol 2021; 12:625993. [PMID: 33643313 PMCID: PMC7907174 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.625993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks and tick transmitted infectious agents are increasing global public health threats due to increasing abundance, expanding geographic ranges of vectors and pathogens, and emerging tick-borne infectious agents. Greater understanding of tick, host, and pathogen interactions will contribute to development of novel tick control and disease prevention strategies. Tick-borne pathogens adapt in multiple ways to very different tick and vertebrate host environments and defenses. Ticks effectively pharmacomodulate by its saliva host innate and adaptive immune defenses. In this review, we examine the idea that successful synergy between tick and tick-borne pathogen results in host immune tolerance that facilitates successful tick infection and feeding, creates a favorable site for pathogen introduction, modulates cutaneous and systemic immune defenses to establish infection, and contributes to successful long-term infection. Tick, host, and pathogen elements examined here include interaction of tick innate immunity and microbiome with tick-borne pathogens; tick modulation of host cutaneous defenses prior to pathogen transmission; how tick and pathogen target vertebrate host defenses that lead to different modes of interaction and host infection status (reservoir, incompetent, resistant, clinically ill); tick saliva bioactive molecules as important factors in determining those pathogens for which the tick is a competent vector; and, the need for translational studies to advance this field of study. Gaps in our understanding of these relationships are identified, that if successfully addressed, can advance the development of strategies to successfully disrupt both tick feeding and pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Boulanger
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle - UR7290, Early Bacterial Virulence, Group Borrelia, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Centre National de Référence Borrelia, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stephen Wikel
- Department of Medical Sciences, Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT, United States
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17
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Reif KE, Backus EA. AC-DC electropenetrography unmasks fine temporal details of feeding behaviors for two tick species on unsedated hosts. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2040. [PMID: 33479263 PMCID: PMC7820320 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80257-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are significant nuisance pests and vectors of pathogens for humans, companion animals, and livestock. Limited information on tick feeding behaviors hampers development and rigorous evaluation of tick and tick-borne pathogen control measures. To address this obstacle, the present study examined the utility of AC–DC electropenetrography (EPG) to monitor feeding behaviors of adult Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma americanum in real-time. EPG recording was performed during early stages of slow-phase tick feeding using an awake calf host. Both tick species exhibited discernable and stereotypical waveforms of low-, medium-, and high-frequencies. Similar waveform families and types were observed for both tick species; however, species-specific waveform structural differences were also observed. Tick waveforms were hierarchically categorized into three families containing seven types. Some waveform types were conserved by both species (e.g., Types 1b, 1c, 2b, 2c) while others were variably performed among species and individually recorded ticks (e.g., Types 1a, 2a, 2d). This study provides a proof-of-principle demonstration of the feasibility for using EPG to monitor, evaluate, and compare tick feeding behaviors, providing a foundation for future studies aimed at correlating specific feeding behaviors with waveforms, and ultimately the influence of control measures and pathogens on tick feeding behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Reif
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5802, USA.
| | - Elaine A Backus
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, 9611 South Riverbend Ave., Parlier, CA, 93648, USA
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18
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Helble JD, McCarthy JE, Hu LT. Interactions between Borrelia burgdorferi and its hosts across the enzootic cycle. Parasite Immunol 2021; 43:e12816. [PMID: 33368329 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease and is transmitted to humans through an Ixodes tick vector. B. burgdorferi is able to survive in both mammalian and tick hosts through careful modulation of its gene expression. This allows B. burgdorferi to adapt to the environmental and nutritional changes that occur when it is transmitted between the two hosts. Distinct interactions between the spirochete and its host occur at every step of the enzootic cycle and dictate the ability of the spirochete to survive until the next stage of the cycle. Studying the interface between B. burgdorferi, the Ixodes tick vector and the natural mammalian reservoirs has been made significantly more feasible through the complete genome sequences of the organisms and the advent of high throughput screening technologies. Ultimately, a thorough investigation of the interplay between the two domains (and two phyla within one domain) is necessary in order to completely understand how the pathogen is transmitted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Helble
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julie E McCarthy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Linden T Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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Narasimhan S, Kurokawa C, DeBlasio M, Matias J, Sajid A, Pal U, Lynn G, Fikrig E. Acquired tick resistance: The trail is hot. Parasite Immunol 2020; 43:e12808. [PMID: 33187012 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acquired tick resistance is a phenomenon wherein the host elicits an immune response against tick salivary components upon repeated tick infestations. The immune responses, potentially directed against critical salivary components, thwart tick feeding, and the animal becomes resistant to subsequent tick infestations. The development of tick resistance is frequently observed when ticks feed on non-natural hosts, but not on natural hosts. The molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of tick resistance are not fully understood, and both host and tick factors are invoked in this phenomenon. Advances in molecular tools to address the host and the tick are beginning to reveal new insights into this phenomenon and to uncover a deeper understanding of the fundamental biology of tick-host interactions. This review will focus on the expanding understanding of acquired tick resistance and highlight the impact of this understanding on anti-tick vaccine development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cheyne Kurokawa
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Melody DeBlasio
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jaqueline Matias
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Andaleeb Sajid
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Geoffrey Lynn
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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20
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Ding Z, Sun L, Bi Y, Zhang Y, Yue P, Xu X, Cao W, Luo L, Chen T, Li L, Ji Z, Jian M, Lu L, Abi ME, Liu A, Bao F. Integrative Transcriptome and Proteome Analyses Provide New Insights Into the Interaction Between Live Borrelia burgdorferi and Frontal Cortex Explants of the Rhesus Brain. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2020; 79:518-529. [PMID: 32196082 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which is neurotropic, can attack the central nervous system (CNS), leading to the development of various neurologic symptoms. The pathogenesis of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) remains poorly understood. Presently, there is a lack of knowledge of the changes in mRNA and proteins in the CNS following early disseminated Lyme disease. Explants from the frontal cortex of 3 rhesus brains were incubated with medium alone or with medium containing live Bb for 6, 12, or 24 hours. Then, we analyzed identified mRNA and proteins in the frontal cortex tissues, allowing for an in-depth view of the transcriptome and proteome for a macroscopic and unbiased understanding of early disseminated Lyme disease in the brain. Through bioinformatics analysis, a complex network of enriched pathways that were mobilized during the progression of Lyme spirochete infection was described. Furthermore, based on the analysis of omics data, translational regulation, glycosaminoglycan/proteoglycan-binding activity in colonization and dissemination to tissues, disease-associated genes, and synaptic function were enriched, which potentially play a role in pathogenesis during the interaction between frontal cortex tissues and spirochetes. These integrated omics results provide unbiased and comprehensive information for the further understanding of the molecular mechanisms of LNB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Ding
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Luyun Sun
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities
| | - Yunfeng Bi
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities
| | - Yu Zhang
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Peng Yue
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Xin Xu
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kunming Medical University
| | - Wenjing Cao
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kunming Medical University
| | - Lisha Luo
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kunming Medical University
| | - Taigui Chen
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Lianbao Li
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Zhenhua Ji
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Miaomiao Jian
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kunming Medical University
| | - Lihong Lu
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities
| | - Manzama-Esso Abi
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Aihua Liu
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Children's Major Diseases Research, The Children's Hospital of Kunming.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kunming Medical University.,Yunnan Demonstration Base of International Science and Technology Cooperation for Tropical Diseases, Kunming, China
| | - Fukai Bao
- From the Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Universities.,Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Children's Major Diseases Research, The Children's Hospital of Kunming.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology.,Yunnan Demonstration Base of International Science and Technology Cooperation for Tropical Diseases, Kunming, China
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21
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Perner J, Helm D, Haberkant P, Hatalova T, Kropackova S, Ribeiro JM, Kopacek P. The Central Role of Salivary Metalloproteases in Host Acquired Resistance to Tick Feeding. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:563349. [PMID: 33312963 PMCID: PMC7708348 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.563349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During feeding on vertebrate hosts, ticks secrete saliva composed of a rich cocktail of bioactive molecules modulating host immune responses. Although most of the proteinaceous fraction of tick saliva is of little immunogenicity, repeated feeding of ticks on mammalian hosts may lead to impairment of tick feeding, preventing full engorgement. Here, we challenged rabbits with repeated feeding of both Ixodes ricinus nymphs and adults and observed the formation of specific antibodies against several tick salivary proteins. Repeated feeding of both I. ricinus stages led to a gradual decrease in engorged weights. To identify the salivary antigens, isolated immunoglobulins from repeatedly infested rabbits were utilized for a protein pull-down from the saliva of pilocarpine-treated ticks. Eluted antigens were first identified by peptide mass fingerprinting with the aid of available I. ricinus salivary gland transcriptomes originating from early phases of tick feeding. To increase the authenticity of immunogens identified, we also performed, for the first time, de novo assembly of the sialome from I. ricinus females fed for six days, a timepoint used for pilocarpine-salivation. The most dominant I. ricinus salivary immunogens identified in our study were zinc-dependent metalloproteases of three different families. To corroborate the role of metalloproteases at the tick/host interface, we fed ticks micro-injected with a zinc metalloprotease inhibitor, phosphoramidon, on a rabbit. These ticks clearly failed to initiate feeding and to engorge. However, neither feeding to ticks immune blood of repeatedly infested rabbits, nor phosphoramidon injection into ticks, prevented their engorgement when fed in vitro on an artificial membrane system. These data show that Zn metalloproteases play a decisive role in the success of tick feeding, mediated by complex molecular interactions between the host immune, inflammatory, and hemostatic processes, which are absent in in vitro feeding. This basic concept warrants further investigation and reconsideration of the current strategies towards the development of an effective “anti-tick” vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Perner
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Dominic Helm
- Proteomics Core Facility, The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Per Haberkant
- Proteomics Core Facility, The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tereza Hatalova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Sara Kropackova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Jose M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
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22
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Fractionation of tick saliva reveals proteins associated with the development of acquired resistance to Ixodes scapularis. Vaccine 2020; 38:8121-8129. [PMID: 33168347 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.10.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases pose a global medical problem. As transmission of tick-borne pathogens to their hosts occurs during tick feeding, development of vaccines thwarting this process could potentially prevent transmission of multiple tick-borne pathogens. The idea of tick vaccines is based on the phenomenon of acquired tick immunity, rejection of ticks feeding on hosts which were repeatedly infested by ticks. Recently, we demonstrated that saliva of the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis, which is the main vector of tick-borne pathogens in northeast USA, is sufficient for induction of tick immunity in the guinea pig model and that immunity directed against tick glycoproteins is important in this phenomenon. Nevertheless, immunity elicited against individual tick salivary antigens, which have been identified and tested so far, provided only modest tick rejection. We therefore now tested fractions of tick saliva produced by liquid chromatography for their ability to induce tick immunity in the guinea pig model. Immunization with all individual fractions elicited antibodies that reacted with tick saliva, however only some fractions displayed the ability to induce robust protective tick immunity. Mass spectrometry analysis led to identification of 24 proteins present only in saliva fractions which were able to induce tick immunity, suggesting suitable candidates for development of a tick vaccine.
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23
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Karasuyama H, Miyake K, Yoshikawa S. Immunobiology of Acquired Resistance to Ticks. Front Immunol 2020; 11:601504. [PMID: 33154758 PMCID: PMC7591762 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.601504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods of great importance in the medical and veterinary fields worldwide. They are considered second only to mosquitos as vectors of pathogenic microorganisms that can cause serious infectious disorders, such as Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. Hard (Ixodid) ticks feed on host animals for several days and inject saliva together with pathogens to hosts during blood feeding. Some animal species can acquire resistance to blood-feeding by ticks after a single or repeated tick infestation, resulting in decreased weights and numbers of engorged ticks or the death of ticks in subsequent infestations. Importantly, this acquired tick resistance (ATR) can reduce the risk of pathogen transmission from pathogen-infected ticks to hosts. This is the basis for the development of tick antigen-targeted vaccines to forestall tick infestation and tick-borne diseases. Accumulation of basophils is detected in the tick re-infested skin lesion of animals showing ATR, and the ablation of basophils abolishes ATR in mice and guinea pigs, illustrating the critical role for basophils in the expression of ATR. In this review article, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development and manifestation of ATR, with a particular focus on the role of basophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Karasuyama
- Inflammation, Infection and Immunity Laboratory, TMDU Advanced Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensuke Miyake
- Inflammation, Infection and Immunity Laboratory, TMDU Advanced Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Soichiro Yoshikawa
- Department of Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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24
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Karim S, Kumar D, Adamson S, Ennen JR, Qualls CP, Ribeiro JMC. The sialotranscriptome of the gopher-tortoise tick, Amblyomma tuberculatum. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101560. [PMID: 33007669 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The gopher tortoise tick, Amblyomma tuberculatum, is known to parasitize keystone ectotherm reptile species. The biological success of ticks requires precise mechanisms to evade host hemostatic and immune responses. Acquisition of a full blood meal requires attachment, establishment of the blood pool, and engorgement of the tick. Tick saliva contains molecules which counter the host responses to allow uninterrupted feeding on the host. RNASeq of the salivary glands of Amblyomma tuberculatum ticks were sequenced resulting in 138,030 pyrosequencing reads which were assembled into 29,991 contigs. A total of 1875 coding sequences were deduced from the transcriptome assembly, including 602 putative secretory and 982 putative housekeeping proteins. The annotated data sets are available as a hyperlinked spreadsheet. The sialotranscriptome assembled for this tick species made available a valuable resource for mining novel pharmacological activities and comparative analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Deepak Kumar
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Steve Adamson
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Joshua R Ennen
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Carl P Qualls
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - José M C Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12732 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 3E28, Rockville MD 20852, USA.
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25
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Kurokawa C, Narasimhan S, Vidyarthi A, Booth CJ, Mehta S, Meister L, Diktas H, Strank N, Lynn GE, DePonte K, Craft J, Fikrig E. Repeat tick exposure elicits distinct immune responses in guinea pigs and mice. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101529. [PMID: 32993942 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ticks deposit salivary proteins into the skin during a bite to mediate acquisition of a blood meal. Acquired resistance to tick bites has been demonstrated to prevent Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) transmission. However, the mechanism of resistance, as well as the protective antigens, have remained elusive. To address these unknowns, we utilized a guinea pig model of tick resistance and a mouse model of permissiveness. Guinea pigs developed immunity after multiple Ixodes scapularis tick infestations, characterized by rapid tick detachment and impaired feeding. In comparison, mice tolerated at least 6 infestations with no significant impact on feeding. We analyzed the bite sites by RNA-sequencing and histology, identifying several inflammatory pathways in tick immune animals, such as FcεRI signaling and complement activation, and activation of coagulation pathways that could impair local blood flow. Together, these results identify important pathways altered during tick rejection and potential tick proteins that could serve as vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheyne Kurokawa
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Aurobind Vidyarthi
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Carmen J Booth
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sameet Mehta
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Lea Meister
- Clermont Auvergne University School of Engineering Polytech, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Husrev Diktas
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Norma Strank
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Lynn
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kathy DePonte
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Joseph Craft
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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26
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Garcia GR, Chaves Ribeiro JM, Maruyama SR, Gardinassi LG, Nelson K, Ferreira BR, Andrade TG, de Miranda Santos IKF. A transcriptome and proteome of the tick Rhipicephalus microplus shaped by the genetic composition of its hosts and developmental stage. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12857. [PMID: 32732984 PMCID: PMC7393499 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is a monoxenous tick that co-evolved with indicine cattle on the Indian subcontinent. It causes massive damage to livestock worldwide. Cattle breeds present heritable, contrasting phenotypes of tick loads, taurine breeds carrying higher loads of the parasite than indicine breeds. Thus, a useful model is available to analyze mechanisms that determine outcomes of parasitism. We sought to gain insights on these mechanisms and used RNA sequencing and Multidimensional Protein Identification Technology (MudPIT) to generate a transcriptome from whole larvae and salivary glands from nymphs, males and females feeding on genetically susceptible and resistant bovine hosts and their corresponding proteomes. 931,698 reads were annotated into 11,676 coding sequences (CDS), which were manually curated into 116 different protein families. Male ticks presented the most diverse armamentarium of mediators of parasitism. In addition, levels of expression of many genes encoding mediators of parasitism were significantly associated with the level and stage of host immunity and/or were temporally restricted to developmental stages of the tick. These insights should assist in developing novel, sustainable technologies for tick control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo R Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Superintendence of the São Paulo State Technical and Scientific Police, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - José Marcos Chaves Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sandra Regina Maruyama
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Gustavo Gardinassi
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Kristina Nelson
- Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Beatriz R Ferreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Department of Maternal-Child Nursing and Public Health, Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Thales Galdino Andrade
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Department of Maternal-Child Nursing and Public Health, Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel K Ferreira de Miranda Santos
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
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27
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Integrated analysis of sialotranscriptome and sialoproteome of the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.): Insights into gene expression during blood feeding. J Proteomics 2020; 229:103899. [PMID: 32673754 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tick salivary glands secrete a complex saliva into their hosts which modulates vertebrate hemostasis, immunity and tissue repair mechanisms. Transcriptomic studies revealed a large number of transcripts coding for structural and secreted protein products in a single tick species. These transcripts are organized in several large families according to their products. Not all transcripts are expressed at the same time, transcription profile switches at intervals, characterizing the phenomenon of "sialome switching". In this work, using transcriptomic and proteomic analysis we explored the sialome of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.) adult female ticks feeding on a rabbit. The correlations between transcriptional and translational results in the different groups were evaluated, confirming the "sialome switching" and validating the idea that the expression switch may serve as a mechanism of escape from the host immunity. Recombination breakpoints were identified in lipocalin and metalloprotease families, indicating this mechanism could be a possible source of diversity in the tick sialome. Another remarkable observation was the identification of host-derived proteins as a component of tick salivary gland content. These results and disclosed sequences contribute to our understanding of tick feeding biology, to the development of novel anti-tick methods, and to the discovery of novel pharmacologically active products. SIGNIFICANCE: Ticks are a burden by themselves to humans and animals, and vectors of viral, bacterial, protozoal and helminthic diseases. Their saliva has anti-clotting, anti-platelet, vasodilatory and immunomodulatory activities that allows successful feeding and pathogen transmission. Previous transcriptomic studies indicate ticks to have over one thousand transcripts coding for secreted salivary proteins. These transcripts code for proteins of diverse families, but not all are transcribed simultaneously, but rather transiently, in a succession. Here we explored the salivary transcriptome and proteome of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. A protein database of over 20 thousand sequences was "de novo" assembled from over 600 million nucleotide reads, from where over two thousand polypeptides were identified by mass spectrometry. The proteomic data was shown to vary in time with the transcription profiles, validating the idea that the expression switch may serve as a mechanism of escape from the host immunity. Analysis of the transcripts coding for lipocalin and metalloproteases indicate their genes to contain signals of breakpoint recombination suggesting a new mechanism responsible for the large diversity in tick salivary proteins. These results and the disclosed sequences contribute to our understanding of the success ticks enjoy as ectoparasites, to the development of novel anti-tick methods, and to the discovery of novel pharmacologically active products.
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28
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Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease and is transmitted to vertebrate hosts by Ixodes spp. ticks. The spirochaete relies heavily on its arthropod host for basic metabolic functions and has developed complex interactions with ticks to successfully colonize, persist and, at the optimal time, exit the tick. For example, proteins shield spirochaetes from immune factors in the bloodmeal and facilitate the transition between vertebrate and arthropod environments. On infection, B. burgdorferi induces selected tick proteins that modulate the vector gut microbiota towards an environment that favours colonization by the spirochaete. Additionally, the recent sequencing of the Ixodes scapularis genome and characterization of tick immune defence pathways, such as the JAK–STAT, immune deficiency and cross-species interferon-γ pathways, have advanced our understanding of factors that are important for B. burgdorferi persistence in the tick. In this Review, we summarize interactions between B. burgdorferi and I. scapularis during infection, as well as interactions with tick gut and salivary gland proteins important for establishing infection and transmission to the vertebrate host. Borrelia burgdorferi has a complex life cycle with several different hosts, causing Lyme disease when it infects humans. In this Review, Fikrig and colleagues discuss how B. burgdorferi infects and interacts with its tick vector to ensure onward transmission.
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29
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Villar M, Pacheco I, Merino O, Contreras M, Mateos-Hernández L, Prado E, Barros-Picanço DK, Lima-Barbero JF, Artigas-Jerónimo S, Alberdi P, Fernández de Mera IG, Estrada-Peña A, Cabezas-Cruz A, de la Fuente J. Tick and Host Derived Compounds Detected in the Cement Complex Substance. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E555. [PMID: 32260542 PMCID: PMC7226240 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods and vectors of pathogens affecting human and animal health worldwide. Cement is a complex protein polymerization substance secreted by ticks with antimicrobial properties and a possible role in host attachment, sealing the feeding lesion, facilitating feeding and pathogen transmission, and protection from host immune and inflammatory responses. The biochemical properties of tick cement during feeding have not been fully characterized. In this study, we characterized the proteome of Rhipicephalus microplus salivary glands (sialome) and cement (cementome) together with their physicochemical properties at different adult female parasitic stages. The results showed the combination of tick and host derived proteins and other biomolecules such as α-Gal in cement composition, which varied during the feeding process. We propose that these compounds may synergize in cement formation, solidification and maintenance to facilitate attachment, feeding, interference with host immune response and detachment. These results advanced our knowledge of the complex tick cement composition and suggested that tick and host derived compounds modulate cement properties throughout tick feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Villar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
- Biochemistry Section, Faculty of Science and Chemical Technologies, and Regional Centre for Biomedical Research (CRIB), University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Iván Pacheco
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
| | - Octavio Merino
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Km 5, Carretera Victoria-Mante, CP 87000 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico;
| | - Marinela Contreras
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
| | - Lourdes Mateos-Hernández
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
- UMR BIPAR, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France;
| | - Eduardo Prado
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. Camilo José Cela 10, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain;
| | - Dina Karen Barros-Picanço
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
| | - José Francisco Lima-Barbero
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
- Sabiotec, Camino de Moledores s/n. 13003, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sara Artigas-Jerónimo
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
| | - Isabel G. Fernández de Mera
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
| | | | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France;
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.V.); (I.P.); (M.C.); (L.M.-H.); (D.K.B.-P.); (J.F.L.-B.); (S.A.-J.); (P.A.); (I.G.F.d.M.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
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30
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Ixodes scapularis saliva components that elicit responses associated with acquired tick-resistance. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101369. [PMID: 31924502 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are on the rise world-wide and vaccines to prevent transmission of tick-borne diseases is an urgent public health need. Tick transmission of pathogens to the mammalian host occurs during tick feeding. Therefore, it is reasoned that vaccine targeting of tick proteins essential for feeding would thwart tick feeding and consequently prevent pathogen transmission. The phenomenon of acquired tick-immunity, wherein, repeated tick infestations of non-natural hosts results in the development of host immune responses detrimental to tick feeding has served as a robust paradigm in the pursuit of tick salivary antigens that may be vaccine targeted. While several salivary antigens have been identified, immunity elicited against these antigens have only provided modest tick rejection. This has raised the possibility that acquired tick-immunity is directed against tick components other than tick salivary antigens. Using Ixodes scapularis, the blacklegged tick, that vectors several human pathogens, we demonstrate that immunity directed against tick salivary glycoproteins is indeed sufficient to recapitulate the phenomenon of tick-resistance. These observations emphasize the utility of tick salivary glycoproteins as viable vaccine targets to thwart tick feeding and direct our search for anti-tick vaccine candidates.
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