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Samaddar S, Rolandelli A, O'Neal AJ, Laukaitis-Yousey HJ, Marnin L, Singh N, Wang X, Butler LR, Rangghran P, Kitsou C, Cabrera Paz FE, Valencia L, R Ferraz C, Munderloh UG, Khoo B, Cull B, Rosche KL, Shaw DK, Oliver J, Narasimhan S, Fikrig E, Pal U, Fiskum GM, Polster BM, Pedra JHF. Bacterial reprogramming of tick metabolism impacts vector fitness and susceptibility to infection. Nat Microbiol 2024:10.1038/s41564-024-01756-0. [PMID: 38997520 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01756-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Arthropod-borne pathogens are responsible for hundreds of millions of infections in humans each year. The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the predominant arthropod vector in the United States and is responsible for transmitting several human pathogens, including the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and the obligate intracellular rickettsial bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis. However, tick metabolic response to microbes and whether metabolite allocation occurs upon infection remain unknown. Here we investigated metabolic reprogramming in the tick ectoparasite I. scapularis and determined that the rickettsial bacterium A. phagocytophilum and the spirochete B. burgdorferi induced glycolysis in tick cells. Surprisingly, the endosymbiont Rickettsia buchneri had a minimal effect on bioenergetics. An unbiased metabolomics approach following A. phagocytophilum infection of tick cells showed alterations in carbohydrate, lipid, nucleotide and protein metabolism, including elevated levels of the pleiotropic metabolite β-aminoisobutyric acid. We manipulated the expression of genes associated with β-aminoisobutyric acid metabolism in I. scapularis, resulting in feeding impairment, diminished survival and reduced bacterial acquisition post haematophagy. Collectively, we discovered that metabolic reprogramming affects interspecies relationships and fitness in the clinically relevant tick I. scapularis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourabh Samaddar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Agustin Rolandelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anya J O'Neal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanna J Laukaitis-Yousey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Liron Marnin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nisha Singh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University; Knowledge Corridor, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
- MP Biomedicals, Solon, OH, USA
| | - L Rainer Butler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Parisa Rangghran
- Department of Anesthesiology and Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Francy E Cabrera Paz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luisa Valencia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Camila R Ferraz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Benedict Khoo
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Benjamin Cull
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Kristin L Rosche
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Dana K Shaw
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan Oliver
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Gary M Fiskum
- Department of Anesthesiology and Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brian M Polster
- Department of Anesthesiology and Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joao H F Pedra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Kogi AC, George BDJ, Tekdek LB, Ibrahim NDG, Fouad D, Yaro CA, El-Gazzar AM, Papadakis M, Batiha GES. Determination of percentage elongation at break and histopathology of skin from yankasa sheep experimentally infested with Amblyomma variegatum. Vet Parasitol 2024; 331:110246. [PMID: 39018906 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Bites of haematophagous ectoparasites cause mechanical injuries and histopathological changes in their hosts' hides and skins whose resultant leathers become unsuitable for certain leather products. The effects of tick bites on the wellbeing of their hosts are known, however, knowledge of their effects on the quality of leathers is scarce. This work investigated the effects of tick bites on the histopathology of skin and the percentage elongation at break (PEB) of shoe upper leathers produced from the skins of Amblyomma variegatum infested Yankasa sheep. A total of nine apparently healthy Yankasa sheep were selectively purchased from the open market and acclimatized for four weeks in the laboratory. Three animals in each of group 1 and 2 were infested with 40 nymphs and 20 adults of Am. variegatum respectively. Group three animals served as uninfested control. All animals were euthanized after the ticks were fully engorged and detached. Skin biopsies at tick attachment points and the uninfested control were taken from flayed skins and processed for histopathological examination. All skins were processed into finished leathers and their PEB determined. Histopathological studies revealed keratinization in all Am. variegatum infested sheep skins, while the un-infested control skins were normal. Mean PEB (%) of leathers were 21.41±3.33SE (nymphs), 36.73±4.44SE (adults) and 47.83±2.78SE (control). Bites of Am. variegatum cause histopathological changes in Yankasa sheep skins that significantly (p = 0.006) reduce the PEB of resultant leathers to less than the acceptable minimum standard of 40 % whose leathers are classified as rejects. In this study, skin of Yankasa sheep infested by nymphs and adults of Am. variegatum ticks resulted in low quality leathers that are unsuitable for standard leather products production and are also of low market value due to keratinization. Sustained efforts need to be undertaken to increase the awareness on the negative impact of tick bites on leather products by encouraging livestock farmers to engage in early treatment of animals infested with ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asabe Cecilia Kogi
- Department Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.
| | | | - Lazarus Baba Tekdek
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
| | | | - Dalia Fouad
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 22452, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Clement Ameh Yaro
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
| | - Ahmed M El-Gazzar
- Department of Veterinary Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.
| | - Marios Papadakis
- Department of Surgery II, University Hospital Witten-Herdecke, Heusnerstrasse 40, University of Witten-Herdecke, Wuppertal 42283, Germany.
| | - Gaber El-Saber Batiha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, AlBeheira 22511, Egypt.
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Marshall JP, Marinko E, To A, Morejon JL, Joshi R, Shea J, Gibbs AG, Meiselman MR. Circadian regulation of locomotion, respiration, and arousability in adult blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Sci Rep 2024; 14:14804. [PMID: 38926516 PMCID: PMC11208436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65498-z] [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: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is an ectoparasitic arachnid and vector for infectious diseases, including Lyme borreliosis. Here, we investigate the diurnal activity and respiration of wild-caught and lab-reared adult ticks with long-term video recording, multi-animal tracking and high-resolution respirometry. We find male and female ticks are in a more active, more arousable state during circadian night. We find respiration is augmented by light, with dark onset triggering more frequent bouts of discontinuous gas exchange and a higher overall volume of CO2 respired. Observed inactivity during the day meets the criteria of sleep: homeostatic in nature, rapidly reversible, a characteristic pose, and reduced arousal threshold. Our findings indicate that blacklegged ticks are in a distinct, heightened state of activity and arousability during night and in dark, suggesting this period may carry higher risk for tick bites and subsequent contraction of tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack P Marshall
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Emily Marinko
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Amber To
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Jilian L Morejon
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Ritika Joshi
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Jamien Shea
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Allen G Gibbs
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Matthew R Meiselman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
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Savage JDT, Moore CM. How do host population dynamics impact Lyme disease risk dynamics in theoretical models? PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302874. [PMID: 38722910 PMCID: PMC11081252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common wildlife-to-human transmitted disease reported in North America. The study of this disease requires an understanding of the ecology of the complex communities of ticks and host species involved in harboring and transmitting this disease. Much of the ecology of this system is well understood, such as the life cycle of ticks, and how hosts are able to support tick populations and serve as disease reservoirs, but there is much to be explored about how the population dynamics of different host species and communities impact disease risk to humans. In this study, we construct a stage-structured, empirically-informed model with host dynamics to investigate how host population dynamics can affect disease risk to humans. The model describes a tick population and a simplified community of three host species, where primary nymph host populations are made to fluctuate on an annual basis, as commonly observed in host populations. We tested the model under different environmental conditions to examine the effect of environment on the interactions of host dynamics and disease risk. Results show that allowing for host dynamics in the model reduces mean nymphal infection prevalence and increases the maximum annual prevalence of nymphal infection and the density of infected nymphs. Effects of host dynamics on disease measures of nymphal infection prevalence were nonlinear and patterns in the effect of dynamics on amplitude in nymphal infection prevalence varied across environmental conditions. These results highlight the importance of further study of the effect of community dynamics on disease risk. This will involve the construction of further theoretical models and collection of robust field data to inform these models. With a more complete understanding of disease dynamics we can begin to better determine how to predict and manage disease risk using these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. T. Savage
- Biology Department, Colby College, Waterville, Maine, United States of America
- Department of Geography, Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
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Valente D, Carolino N, Gomes J, Coelho AC, Espadinha P, Pais J, Carolino I. A study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices on ticks and tick-borne diseases of cattle among breeders of two bovine Portuguese autochthonous breeds. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 48:100989. [PMID: 38316511 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.100989] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Beef cattle production in Portugal is an important sector of national agricultural production, with half of the herd being in the Alentejo region. Despite this, animal health is essential for its productivity, which may be compromised by ticks and tick-borne diseases. So far, no study has been conducted in Portugal to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle, which the authors are aware of. This type of questionnaire is a very useful tool in the development and application of effective and sustainable prevention and control measures. Therefore, a KAP questionnaire was applied to 44 cattle breeders of autochthonous Portuguese breeds, namely 14 breeders of the Alentejana breed and 30 of the Mertolenga breed, between January 1 and May 9, 2023. Based on the analysis criteria of these surveys, 64% of the Alentejana breeders and 63% of the Mertolenga breeders have an average level of knowledge about ticks and tick-borne diseases, and 21% of the Alentejana breeders and 33% of the Mertolenga breeders have a high level of knowledge. Although only 21.4% of the Alentejana and 36.7% of the Mertolenga breeders consider tick infestation as a major animal health problem, 71.4% of the Alentejana and 63.3% of breeders of the Mertolenga state that one of the main reasons for veterinary consultations on their farm is deworming of animals, and 92.9% of breeders of the Alentejana and 96.7% of breeders of the Mertolenga refer the use of dewormers as a strategy to control tick infestation. The results of this study contribute to highlighting the importance of correcting some identified knowledge gaps and improving knowledge, especially on the life cycle of this parasite, its local distribution and seasonality, resistance to acaricides, and alternative control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Valente
- Centro de Investigação Vasco da Gama, Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, Coimbra 3020-210, Portugal; Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, Vila Real 5000-801, Portugal.
| | - Nuno Carolino
- Centro de Investigação Vasco da Gama, Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, Coimbra 3020-210, Portugal; Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1300-477, Portugal; Laboratório Associado para a Ciência Animal e Veterinária, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1300-477, Portugal; Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Polo de Inovação da Fonte Boa-Estação Zootécnica Nacional, Santarém 2005-424, Portugal
| | - Jacinto Gomes
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1300-477, Portugal; Laboratório Associado para a Ciência Animal e Veterinária, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1300-477, Portugal; Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Elvas 7350-092, Portugal
| | - Ana Cláudia Coelho
- Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, Vila Real 5000-801, Portugal; Laboratório Associado para a Ciência Animal e Veterinária, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1300-477, Portugal
| | - Pedro Espadinha
- Associação de Criadores de Bovinos da Raça Alentejana, Monforte Herdade da Coutada Real - Assumar, Assumar 7450-051, Portugal
| | - José Pais
- Associação de Criadores de Bovinos Mertolengos, Évora 7006-806, Portugal
| | - Inês Carolino
- Centro de Investigação Vasco da Gama, Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, Coimbra 3020-210, Portugal; Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Polo de Inovação da Fonte Boa-Estação Zootécnica Nacional, Santarém 2005-424, Portugal; Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1349-017, Portugal
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Lyu B, Li J, Niemeyer B, Stanley D, Song Q. Identification and characterization of ecdysis-related neuropeptides in the lone star tick Amblyomma americanum. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1256618. [PMID: 37693356 PMCID: PMC10490126 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1256618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is an important ectoparasite known for transmitting diseases to humans and animals. Ecdysis-related neuropeptides (ERNs) control behaviors crucial for arthropods to shed exoskeletons. However, ERN identification and characterization in A. americanum remain incomplete. Methods We investigated ERNs in A. americanum, assessing their evolutionary relationships, protein properties, and functions. Phylogeny, sequence alignment, and domain structures of ERNs were analyzed. ERN functionality was explored using enrichment analysis, and developmental and tissue-specific ERN expression profiles were examined using qPCR and RNAi experiments. Results and discussion The study shows that ERN catalogs (i.e., eclosion hormone, corazonin, and bursicon) are found in most arachnids, and these ERNs in A. americanum have high evolutionary relatedness with other tick species. Protein modeling analysis indicates that ERNs primarily consist of secondary structures and protein stabilizing forces (i.e., hydrophobic clusters, hydrogen bond networks, and salt bridges). Gene functional analysis shows that ENRs are involved in many ecdysis-related functions, including ecdysis-triggering hormone activity, neuropeptide signaling pathway, and corazonin receptor binding. Bursicon proteins have functions in chitin binding and G protein-coupled receptor activity and strong interactions with leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5. ERNs were expressed in higher levels in newly molted adults and synganglia. RNAi-mediated knockdown of burs α and burs β expression led to a significant decrease in the expression of an antimicrobial peptide, defensin, suggesting they might act in signaling or regulatory pathways that control the expression of immune-related genes. Arthropods are vulnerable immediately after molting because new cuticles are soft and susceptible to injury and pathogen infections. Bursicon homodimers act in prophylactic immunity during this vulnerable period by increasing the synthesis of transcripts encoding antimicrobial peptides to protect them from microbial invasion. Collectively, the expression pattern and characterization of ERNs in this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the physiological processes in A. americanum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lyu
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Jingjing Li
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Brigid Niemeyer
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - David Stanley
- Biological Control of Insect Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Station (USDA/ARS), Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
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Bilgiç HB, Hacilarlioğlu S, Pekağirbaş M, Karagenç T, Eren H, Bakirci S. In vitro feeding of Hyalomma excavatum and Hyalomma marginatum tick species. Parasitol Res 2023:10.1007/s00436-023-07867-7. [PMID: 37178257 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07867-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The rearing of ticks is an important technique for studies aiming to elucidate the course and pathogenesis of tick-borne diseases (TBDs). TBDs caused by protozoans (Theileria, Babesia) and bacteria (Anaplasma/Ehrlichia) impose a serious constraint upon livestock health and production in tropical and sub-tropical regions where the distributions of host, pathogen, and vector overlap. This study focuses on Hyalomma marginatum, one of the most important Hyalomma species in the Mediterranean region, being a vector of the virus that causes Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in humans, together with H. excavatum, a vector of Theileria annulata, an important protozoan of cattle. The adaptation of ticks to feeding on artificial membranes allows the creation of model systems that can be put to use examining the underlying mechanisms of pathogen transmission by ticks. Silicone membranes, in particular, offer researchers the flexibility to adjust membrane thickness and content during artificial feeding. The aim of the present study was to develop an artificial feeding technique using silicone-based membranes for all developmental stages of H. excavatum and H. marginatum ticks. Attachment rates after feeding on silicone membranes for females H. marginatum and H. excavatum were 8.33% (8/96) and 7.95% (7/88), respectively. The use of cow hair as a stimulant increased the attachment rate of H. marginatum adults in comparison to other stimulants. The engorgement of H. marginatum and H. excavatum females took 20.5 and 23 days with average weights of 307.85 and 260.64 mg, respectively. Although both tick species could complete egg-laying, and this was followed by hatching of larvae; their larvae and nymphs could not be fed artificially. Taken together, the results of the present study clearly indicate that silicone membranes are suitable for feeding of H. excavatum and H. marginatum adult ticks, supporting engorgement, laying of eggs, and hatching of the larvae. They thus represent a versatile tool for studying transmission mechanisms of tick-borne pathogens. Further studies are warranted to examine attachment and feeding behaviours in order to increase the success of artificial feeding of larvae and nymphal stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hüseyin Bilgin Bilgiç
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Isıklı-Efeler, Aydın, Türkiye
| | - Selin Hacilarlioğlu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Isıklı-Efeler, Aydın, Türkiye
| | - Metin Pekağirbaş
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Isıklı-Efeler, Aydın, Türkiye
| | - Tülin Karagenç
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Isıklı-Efeler, Aydın, Türkiye
| | - Hasan Eren
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Isıklı-Efeler, Aydın, Türkiye
| | - Serkan Bakirci
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Isıklı-Efeler, Aydın, Türkiye.
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Baker AS, Persinger KA, Olafson PU, Johnson TL. Artificial infestation of white-tailed deer with ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) to study tick-host interactions. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:7176134. [PMID: 37220088 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a main host for the adult life stages of tick species of medical and veterinary importance. Since white-tailed deer play a vital role in tick ecology, research has been conducted to understand this tick-host relationship. To date, research involving captive white-tailed deer and artificial infestation of these animals with ticks has focused on host suitability, the role of white-tailed deer in tick-borne diseases, and anti-tick vaccine research. The methodology reported for these studies was at times not descriptive and inconsistent regarding how and what region of the white-tailed deer was infested with ticks. Here, we propose a standardized method to artificially infest captive white-tailed deer with ticks for research purposes. The protocol describes a method proven effective to experimentally infest captive white-tailed deer with blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) to study tick-host interactions. The methods can be reliably transferred for experimental infestation of white-tailed deer by other multi-host and one-host tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec S Baker
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 495 Horticulture Road, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1619 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801, USA
| | - Kelly A Persinger
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1619 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801, USA
| | - Pia U Olafson
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA
| | - Tammi L Johnson
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 495 Horticulture Road, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1619 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801, USA
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Che Lah EF, Ahamad M, Dmitry A, Md Zain BM, Yaakop S. Metagenomic profile of the bacterial communities associated with Ixodes granulatus (Acari: Ixodidae): a potential vector of tick-borne diseases. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023:7131392. [PMID: 37075471 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ixodes granulatus Supino, 1897 (Acari: Ixodida) is one of Malaysia's most common hard ticks and is a potential vector for tick-borne diseases (TBDs). Despite its great public health importance, research on I. granulatus microbial communities remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bacterial communities of on-host I. granulatus collected from three different recreational areas on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia using high throughput Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). A total of 9 females on-host I. granulatus were subjected to metabarcoding analysis targeting V3-V4 regions of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) using the Illumina MiSeq platform. This study identified 15 bacterial phyla corresponding to 19 classes, 54 orders, and 90 families from 435 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), revealing a diverse bacterial community profile. Together with 130 genera assigned, local I. granulatus harbored 4 genera of pathogens, i.e., Rickettsia da Rocha Lima, 1916 (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) (58.6%), Borrelia Swellengrebel 1907 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (31.6%), Borreliella Adeolu and Gupta 2015 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (0.6%), and Ehrlichia Cowdria Moshkovski 1947 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae) (39.9%). Some endosymbiont bacteria, such as Coxiella (Philip, 1943) (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), Wolbachia Hertig 1936 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae), and Rickettsiella Philip, 1956 (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), were also detected at very low abundance. Interestingly, this study reported the co-infection of Borrelia and Ehrlichia for the first time, instilling potential health concerns in the context of co-transmission to humans, especially in areas with a high population of I. granulatus. This study successfully characterized the tick microbiome and provided the first baseline data of I. granulatus bacterial communities in Malaysia. These results support the need for way-forward research on tick-associated bacteria using NGS, focusing on medically important species toward TBD prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernieenor Faraliana Che Lah
- Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Selangor 40170, Malaysia
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| | - Mariana Ahamad
- Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Selangor 40170, Malaysia
| | - Apanaskevich Dmitry
- United States National Tick Collection, The James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042, USA
| | - Badrul Munir Md Zain
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| | - Salmah Yaakop
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
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10
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Armstrong BA, Brandt KS, Goodrich I, Gilmore RD. Evaluation of Immunocompetent Mouse Models for Borrelia miyamotoi Infection. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0430122. [PMID: 36715531 PMCID: PMC10100797 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04301-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever spirochete that is harbored by Ixodes spp. ticks and is virtually uncharacterized, compared to other relapsing fever Borrelia vectored by Ornithodoros spp. ticks. There is not an immunocompetent mouse model for studying B. miyamotoi infection in vivo or for transmission in the vector-host cycle. Our goal was to evaluate B. miyamotoi infections in multiple mouse breeds/strains as a prelude to the ascertainment of the best experimental infection model. Two B. miyamotoi strains, namely, LB-2001 and CT13-2396, as well as three mouse models, namely, CD-1, C3H/HeJ, and BALB/c, were evaluated. We were unable to observe B. miyamotoi LB-2001 spirochetes in the blood via darkfield microscopy or to detect DNA via real-time PCR post needle inoculation in the CD-1 and C3H/HeJ mice. However, LB-2001 DNA was detected via real-time PCR in the blood of the BALB/c mice after needle inoculation, although spirochetes were not observed via microscopy. CD-1, C3H/HeJ, and BALB/c mice generated an antibody response to B. miyamotoi LB-2001 following needle inoculation, but established infections were not detected, and the I. scapularis larvae failed to acquire spirochetes from the exposed CD-1 mice. In contrast, B. miyamotoi CT13-2396 was visualized in the blood of the CD-1 and C3H/HeJ mice via darkfield microscopy and detected by real-time PCR post needle inoculation. Both mouse strains seroconverted. However, no established infection was detected in the mouse organs, and the I. scapularis larvae failed to acquire Borrelia after feeding on CT13-2396 exposed CD-1 or C3H/HeJ mice. These findings underscore the challenges in establishing an experimental B. miyamotoi infection model in immunocompetent laboratory mice. IMPORTANCE Borrelia miyamotoi is a causative agent of hard tick relapsing fever, was first identified in the early 1990s, and was characterized as a human pathogen in 2011. Unlike other relapsing fever Borrelia species, B. miyamotoi spread by means of Ixodes ticks. The relatively recent recognition of this human pathogen means that B. miyamotoi is virtually uncharacterized, compared to other Borrelia species. Currently there is no standard mouse-tick model with which to study the interactions of the pathogen within its vector and hosts. We evaluated two B. miyamotoi isolates and three immunocompetent mouse models to identify an appropriate model with which to study tick-host-pathogen interactions. With the increased prevalence of human exposure to Ixodes ticks, having an appropriate model with which to study B. miyamotoi will be critical for the future development of diagnostics and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Armstrong
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Kevin S. Brandt
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Irina Goodrich
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Robert D. Gilmore
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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11
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Tsujimoto H, Metz HC, Smith AA, Sakamoto JM, Pal U, Rasgon JL. Function and evolution of the aquaporin IsAQP1 in the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36680546 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and protozoans to humans, wildlife, and domestic animals. Due to their life cycles, ticks face significant challenges related to water homeostasis. When blood-feeding, they must excrete water and ions, but when off-host (for stretches lasting several months), they must conserve water to avoid desiccation. Aquaporins (AQPs), a family of membrane-bound water channels, are key players in osmoregulation in many animals but remain poorly characterized in ticks. Here, we bioinformatically identified AQP-like genes from the deer tick Ixodes scapularis and used phylogenetic approaches to map the evolution of the aquaporin gene family in arthropods. Most arachnid AQP-like sequences (including those of I. scapularis) formed a monophyletic group clustered within aquaglycerolporins (GLPs) from bacteria to vertebrates. This gene family is absent from insects, revealing divergent evolutionary paths for AQPs in different hematophagous arthropods. Next, we sequenced the full-length cDNA of I. scapularis aquaporin 1 (IsAQP1) and expressed it heterologously in Xenopus oocytes to functionally characterize its permeability to water and solutes. Additionally, we examined IsAQP1 expression across different life stages and adult female organs. We found IsAQP1 is an efficient water channel with high expression in salivary glands prior to feeding, suggesting it plays a role in osmoregulation before or during blood feeding. Its functional properties are unique: unlike most GLPs, IsAQP1 has low glycerol permeability, and unlike most AQPs, it is insensitive to mercury. Together, our results suggest IsAQP1 plays an important role in tick water balance physiology and that it may hold promise as a target of novel vector control efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Tsujimoto
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Hillery C Metz
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Joyce M Sakamoto
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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12
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Efficacy and Immune Correlates of OMP-1B and VirB2-4 Vaccines for Protection of Dogs from Tick Transmission of Ehrlichia chaffeensis. mBio 2022; 13:e0214022. [PMID: 36342170 PMCID: PMC9765013 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02140-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligatory intracellular bacterium, causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, an emerging disease transmitted by the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum. Here, we investigated the vaccine potential of OMP-1B and VirB2-4. Among the highly expressed and immunodominant E. chaffeensis porin P28s/OMP-1s, OMP-1B is predominantly expressed by E. chaffeensis in A. americanum ticks, whereas VirB2-4 is a pilus protein of the type IV secretion system essential for E. chaffeensis infection of host cells. Immunization with recombinant OMP-1B (rOMP-1B) or recombinant VirB2-4 (rVirB2-4) protected mice from E. chaffeensis infection as effectively as Entry-triggering protein of Ehrlichia immunization. Dogs vaccinated with a nanoparticle vaccine composed of rOMP-1B or rVirB2-4 and an immunostimulating complex developed high antibody titers against the respective antigen. Upon challenge with E. chaffeensis-infected A. americanum ticks, E. chaffeensis was undetectable in the blood of rOMP-1B or rVirB2-4 immunized dogs on day 3 or 6 post-tick attachment and for the duration of the experiment, whereas dogs sham-vaccinated with the complex alone were persistently infected for the duration of the experiment. E. chaffeensis exponentially replicates in blood-feeding ticks to facilitate transmission. Previously infected ticks removed from OMP-1B-immunized dogs showed significantly lower bacterial load relative to ticks removed from sham-immunized dogs, suggesting in-tick neutralization. Peripheral blood leukocytes from rVirB2-4-vaccinated dogs secreted significantly elevated amounts of interferon-γ soon after tick attachment by ELISpot assay and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, suggesting interferon-γ-mediated Ehrlichia inhibition. Thus, Ehrlichia surface-exposed proteins OMP-1B and VirB2-4 represent new potential vaccine candidates for blocking tick-borne ehrlichial transmission. IMPORTANCE Ehrlichia are tick-borne pathogens that cause a potentially fatal illness-ehrlichiosis-in animals and humans worldwide. Currently, no vaccine is available for ehrlichiosis, and treatment options are limited. Ticks are biological vectors of Ehrlichia, i.e., Ehrlichia exponentially replicates in blood-sucking ticks before infecting animals. Ticks also inoculate immunomodulatory substances into animals. Thus, it is important to study effects of candidate vaccines on Ehrlichia infection in both animals and ticks and the immune responses of animals shortly after infected tick challenge. Here, we investigated the efficacy of vaccination with functionality-defined two surface-exposed outer membrane proteins of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, OMP-1B and VirB2-4, in a mouse infection model and then in a dog-tick transmission model. Our results begin to fill gaps in our understanding of Ehrlichia-derived protective antigens against tick-transmission and immune correlates and mechanisms that could help future development of vaccines for immunization of humans and animals to counter tick-transmitted ehrlichiosis.
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13
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González J, Lockhart A, Wu Q, Simon JE, Toledo A. Repellency of novel catnip (Nepeta cataria) cultivar extracts against Ixodes scapularis and Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102046. [PMID: 36130440 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tick bites are a major public health concern due to the vector role that many tick species have in transmitting human pathogens. Synthetic repellents such as N‑diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) remain the standard for repellency. Still, there is a need for natural commercial alternatives with similar or better properties than DEET. We evaluated the repellency of two extracts, CR3 and CR9, derived for newly developed catnip cultivars on two tick species, Ixodes scapularis and Haemaphysalis longicornis. Dose-response in vitro assays showed that CR3 and CR9 extracts have similar repellency properties to DEET. At a 20% concentration, both CR3 and CR9 extracts exhibited a repellency of 100%. Catnip extracts maintained their repellency properties for at least 8 h. In a two-choice assay, I. scapularis, but not H. longicornis, was more sensitive to CR3 than DEET. In addition, CR3 reduces the life span of I. scapularis, suggesting that it has an acaricidal effect on ticks. In summary, CR3 and CR9 catnip extracts are promising tick repellents that should be further developed, alone or in combination with other tick repellents, and tested for their use as tick repellents for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia González
- Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, 96 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Anthony Lockhart
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Rutgers University, 160 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Qingli Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Rutgers University, 160 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Center for Food Systems Sustainability, Institute of Food, Nutrition & Health, and the New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, Rutgers University, 61 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - James E Simon
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Rutgers University, 160 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Center for Food Systems Sustainability, Institute of Food, Nutrition & Health, and the New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, Rutgers University, 61 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Alvaro Toledo
- Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, 96 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
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14
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Castrosanto MA, Mukerjee N, Ramos AR, Maitra S, Manuben JJP, Das P, Malik S, Hasan MM, Alexiou A, Dey A, Kamal MA, Aljarba NH, Alkahtani S, Ghosh A. Abetting host immune response by inhibiting rhipicephalus sanguineus Evasin-1: An in silico approach. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271401. [PMID: 36099243 PMCID: PMC9469951 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) is the most prevalent tick in the world and a well-recognized vector of many pathogens affecting dogs and occasionally humans. Pathogens exploit tick salivary molecules for their survival and multiplication in the vector and transmission to and establishment in the hosts. Tick saliva contains various non-proteinaceous substances and secreted proteins that are differentially produced during feeding and comprise of inhibitors of blood congealing and platelet aggregation, vasodilatory and immunomodulatory substances, and compounds preventing itch and pain. One of these proteins is Evasin-1, which has a high binding affinity to certain types of chemokines. The binding of Evasin-1 to chemokines prevents the detection and immune response of the host to R. sanguineus, which may result in the successful transmission of pathogens. In this study, we screened potential Evasin-1 inhibitor based on the pharmacophore model derived from the binding site residues. Hit ligands were further screened via molecular docking and virtual ADMET prediction, which resulted in ZINC8856727 as the top ligand (binding affinity: -9.1 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics simulation studies, coupled with MM-GBSA calculations and principal component analysis revealed that ZINC8856727 plays a vital role in the stability of Evasin-1. We recommend continuing the study by developing a formulation that serves as a potential medicine aid immune response during R. sanguineus infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvin A. Castrosanto
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Nobendu Mukerjee
- Department of Microbiology, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, West Bengal, Kolkata, India
- Department of Health Sciences, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail: (AG); (AA); (NM); (SA)
| | - Ana Rose Ramos
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | | | - John Julius P. Manuben
- National Crop Protection Center, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Padmashree Das
- Central Silk Board, Regional Office, Khanapara, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Sumira Malik
- Department of Biotechnology, Amity University Jharkhand Ranch, Jharkhand, India
| | - Mohammad Mehedi Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- Department of Science and Engineering, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Australia & AFNP Med, Hebersham, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail: (AG); (AA); (NM); (SA)
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Mohammad Amjad Kamal
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Enzymoics, 7 Peterlee Place, Habersham, New South Wales, Australia
- Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Habersham, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nada H. Aljarba
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad Alkahtani
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail: (AG); (AA); (NM); (SA)
| | - Arabinda Ghosh
- Microbiology Division, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India
- * E-mail: (AG); (AA); (NM); (SA)
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15
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Samanta K, Azevedo JF, Nair N, Kundu S, Gomes-Solecki M. Infected Ixodes scapularis Nymphs Maintained in Prolonged Questing under Optimal Environmental Conditions for One Year Can Transmit Borrelia burgdorferi ( Borreliella genus novum) to Uninfected Hosts. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0137722. [PMID: 35862961 PMCID: PMC9431577 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01377-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, Lyme disease has been expanding to previous nonendemic areas. We hypothesized that infected I. scapularis nymphs that retain host-seeking behavior under optimal environmental conditions are fit to fulfil their transmission role in the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi. We produced nymphal ticks in the laboratory under controlled temperature (22-25°C), humidity (80-90%), and natural daylight cycle conditions to allow them to retain host-seeking/questing behavior for 1 year. We then analyzed differences in B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in questing and diapause nymphs at 6 weeks postmolting (prime questing) as well as differences in infection prevalence of questing nymphs maintained under prolonged environmental induced questing over 12 months (prolonged questing). Lastly, we analyzed the fitness of nymphal ticks subjected to prolonged questing in transmission of B. burgdorferi to naive mice over the course of the year. B. burgdorferi infected unfed I. scapularis nymphal ticks maintained under optimal environmental conditions in the laboratory not only survived for a year in a developmental state of prolonged questing (host-seeking), but they retained an infection prevalence sufficient to effectively fulfil transmission of B. burgdorferi to uninfected mice after tick challenge. Our study is important for understanding and modeling Lyme disease expansion into former nonendemic regions due to climate change. IMPORTANCE Lyme disease is rapidly spreading from its usual endemic areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and Midatlantic states into neighboring areas, which could be due to changing climate patterns. Our study shows that unfed I. scapularis nymphal ticks kept under optimal environmental conditions in the laboratory survived for a year while exhibiting aggressive host-seeking behavior, and they maintained a B. burgdorferi infection prevalence which was sufficient to infect naive reservoir hosts after tick challenge. Our study raises important questions regarding prolonged survival of B. burgdorferi infected host-seeking nymphal I. scapularis ticks that can potentially increase the risk of Lyme disease incidence, if conditions of temperature and humidity become amenable to the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi in regions currently classified as nonendemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamalika Samanta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jose F. Azevedo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Nisha Nair
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Suman Kundu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Maria Gomes-Solecki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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16
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Fongsaran C, Jirakanwisal K, Tongluan N, Latour A, Healy S, Christofferson RC, Macaluso KR. The role of cofeeding arthropods in the transmission of Rickettsia felis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010576. [PMID: 35759517 PMCID: PMC9269922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010576] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia felis is an emerging etiological agent of rickettsioses worldwide. The cosmopolitan cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the primary vector of R. felis, but R. felis has also been reported in other species of hematophagous arthropods including ticks and mosquitoes. Canines can serve as a bacteremic host to infect fleas under laboratory conditions, yet isolation of R. felis from the blood of a vertebrate host in nature has not been realized. Cofeeding transmission is an efficient mechanism for transmitting rickettsiae between infected and uninfected fleas; however, the mechanism of transmission among different orders and classes of arthropods is not known. The potential for R. felis transmission between infected fleas and tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus) hosts was examined via cofeeding bioassays. Donor cat fleas infected with R. felis transmitted the agent to naïve D. variabilis nymphs via cofeeding on a rat host. Subsequent transstadial transmission of R. felis from the engorged nymphs to the adult ticks was observed with reduced prevalence in adult ticks. Using an artificial host system, An. quadrimaculatus exposed to a R. felis-infected blood meal acquired rickettsiae and maintained infection over 12 days post-exposure (dpe). Similar to ticks, mosquitoes were able to acquire R. felis while cofeeding with infected cat fleas on rats infection persisting in the mosquito for up to 3 dpe. The results indicate R. felis-infected cat fleas can transmit rickettsiae to both ticks and mosquitoes via cofeeding on a vertebrate host, thus providing a potential avenue for the diversity of R. felis-infected arthropods in nature. Primarily associated with the common cat flea, Rickettsia felis is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that can be transmitted from the flea to vertebrate hosts. This flea-borne infection has now been identified worldwide as a human pathogen. In addition to fleas, other blood feeding arthropods including ticks and mosquitoes are being recognized as possible vectors of R. felis. Although the mammalian infectious source for arthropods is still unknown, cofeeding transmission of Rickettsia is known to occur between vectors of the same species. However, potential for flea transmission of R. felis to other orders and classes of arthropods is unknown. Here, we examined the potential for fleas to transmit R. felis to American dog ticks and mosquitoes during feeding events on rat hosts. Our data suggested that ticks and mosquitoes can be infected when simultaneously feeding on a host with R. felis-infected cat fleas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanida Fongsaran
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Krit Jirakanwisal
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Natthida Tongluan
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Allison Latour
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Sean Healy
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Rebecca C. Christofferson
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Verhoeve VI, Fauntleroy TD, Risteen RG, Driscoll TP, Gillespie JJ. Cryptic Genes for Interbacterial Antagonism Distinguish Rickettsia Species Infecting Blacklegged Ticks From Other Rickettsia Pathogens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:880813. [PMID: 35592653 PMCID: PMC9111745 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.880813] [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: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The genus Rickettsia (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales) encompasses numerous obligate intracellular species with predominantly ciliate and arthropod hosts. Notable species are pathogens transmitted to mammals by blood-feeding arthropods. Mammalian pathogenicity evolved from basal, non-pathogenic host-associations; however, some non-pathogens are closely related to pathogens. One such species, Rickettsia buchneri, is prevalent in the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. While I. scapularis transmits several pathogens to humans, it does not transmit Rickettsia pathogens. We hypothesize that R. buchneri established a mutualism with I. scapularis, blocking tick superinfection with Rickettsia pathogens. Methods To improve estimates for assessing R. buchneri infection frequency in blacklegged tick populations, we used comparative genomics to identify an R. buchneri gene (REIS_1424) not present in other Rickettsia species present throughout the I. scapularis geographic range. Bioinformatic and phylogenomics approaches were employed to propose a function for the hypothetical protein (263 aa) encoded by REIS_1424. Results REIS_1424 has few analogs in other Rickettsiales genomes and greatest similarity to non-Proteobacteria proteins. This cohort of proteins varies greatly in size and domain composition, possessing characteristics of Recombination hotspot (Rhs) and contact dependent growth inhibition (CDI) toxins, with similarity limited to proximal C-termini (~145 aa). This domain was named CDI-like/Rhs-like C-terminal toxin (CRCT). As such proteins are often found as toxin-antidote (TA) modules, we interrogated REIS_1423 (151 aa) as a putative antidote. Indeed, REIS_1423 is similar to proteins encoded upstream of CRCT domain-containing proteins. Accordingly, we named these proteins CDI-like/Rhs-like C-terminal toxin antidotes (CRCA). R. buchneri expressed both REIS_1423 and REIS_1424 in tick cell culture, and PCR assays showed specificity for R. buchneri over other rickettsiae and utility for positive detection in three tick populations. Finally, phylogenomics analyses uncovered divergent CRCT/CRCA modules in varying states of conservation; however, only R. buchneri and related Tamurae/Ixodes Group rickettsiae carry complete TA modules. Conclusion We hypothesize that Rickettsia CRCT/CRCA modules circulate in the Rickettsia mobile gene pool, arming rickettsiae for battle over arthropod colonization. While its functional significance remains to be tested, R. buchneri CRCT/CRCA serves as a marker to positively identify infection and begin deciphering the role this endosymbiont plays in the biology of the blacklegged tick.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria I. Verhoeve
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Tyesha D. Fauntleroy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Riley G. Risteen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Timothy P. Driscoll
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Joseph J. Gillespie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph J. Gillespie,
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Ackleh AS, Veprauskas A. Modeling the invasion and establishment of a tick-borne pathogen. Ecol Modell 2022; 467. [PMID: 35663375 PMCID: PMC9161809 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
We develop a discrete-time tick–host–pathogen model to describe the spread of a disease in a hard-bodied tick species. This model incorporates the developmental stages for a tick, the dependence of the tick life-cycle and disease transmission on host availability, and three sources of pathogen transmission. We first establish the global dynamics of the disease-free system. We then apply the model to two pathogens, Borellia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophila, using Ixodes ricinus as the tick species to study properties of the invasion and establishment of a disease numerically. In particular, we consider the basic reproduction number, which determines whether a disease can invade the tick-host system, as well as disease prevalence and time to establishment in the case of successful disease invasion. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we calculate the means of each of these disease metrics and their elasticities with respect to various model parameters. We find that increased tick survival may help enable disease invasion, decrease the time to disease establishment, and increase disease prevalence once established. In contrast, though disease invasion is sensitive to tick-to-host transmission and tick searching efficiencies, neither disease prevalence nor time to disease establishment is sensitive to these parameters. These differences emphasize the importance of developing approaches, such as the one highlighted here, that can be used to study disease dynamics beyond just pathogen invasion, including transitional and long-term dynamics.
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19
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Ring K, Couper LI, Sapiro AL, Yarza F, Yang XF, Clay K, Mateusiak C, Chou S, Swei A. Host blood meal identity modifies vector gene expression and competency. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2698-2711. [PMID: 35231145 PMCID: PMC9314864 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A vector's susceptibility and ability to transmit a pathogen—termed vector competency—determines disease outcomes, yet the ecological factors influencing tick vector competency remain largely unknown. Ixodes pacificus, the tick vector of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) in the western U.S., feeds on rodents, birds, and lizards. Rodents and birds are reservoirs for Bb and infect juvenile ticks, while lizards are refractory to Bb and cannot infect feeding ticks. Additionally, the lizard bloodmeal contains borreliacidal properties, clearing previously infected feeding ticks of their Bb infection. Despite I. pacificus feeding on a range of hosts, it is undetermined how the host identity of the larval bloodmeal affects future nymphal vector competency. We experimentally evaluate the influence of larval host bloodmeal on Bb acquisition by nymphal I. pacificus. Larval I. pacificus were fed on either lizards or mice and after molting, nymphs were fed on Bb‐infected mice. We found that lizard‐fed larvae were significantly more likely to become infected with Bb during their next bloodmeal than mouse‐fed larvae. We also conducted the first RNA‐seq analysis on whole‐bodied I. pacificus and found significant upregulation of tick antioxidants and antimicrobial peptides in the lizard‐fed group. Our results indicate that the lizard bloodmeal significantly alters vector competency and gene regulation in ticks, highlighting the importance of host bloodmeal identity in vector‐borne disease transmission and upends prior notions about the role of lizards in Lyme disease community ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacie Ring
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106
| | - Lisa I Couper
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 327 Campus Drive, Stanford, 94305
| | - Anne L Sapiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, 94158
| | - Fauna Yarza
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, 94158
| | - X Frank Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635, Barnhill Drive, MS409J, 46202
| | - Keith Clay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 Charles Avenue, New Orleans, 70118
| | - Chase Mateusiak
- Center for Genome Science and Systems Biology, 4515 McKinley Ave, St. Louis, 63110
| | - Seemay Chou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, 94158.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, 94158
| | - Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, 94132
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20
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Geotropic, hydrokinetic and random walking differ between sympatric tick species: the deer tick Ixodes scapularis and the lone star tick Ambylomma americanum. J ETHOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-021-00741-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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21
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Lu X, Zhang Z, Yuan D, Zhou Y, Cao J, Zhang H, da Silva Vaz I, Zhou J. The ecdysteroid receptor regulates salivary gland degeneration through apoptosis in Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:612. [PMID: 34930413 PMCID: PMC8686549 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-05052-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is well established that ecdysteroid hormones play an important role in arthropod development and reproduction, mediated by ecdysteroid receptors. Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods and vectors of pathogens. The salivary gland plays an essential role in tick growth and reproduction and in the transmission of pathogens to vertebrate hosts. During tick development, the salivary gland undergoes degeneration triggered by ecdysteroid hormones and activated by apoptosis. However, it is unknown how the ecdysteroid receptor and apoptosis regulate salivary gland degeneration. Here, we report the functional ecdysteroid receptor (a heterodimer of the ecdysone receptor [EcR] and ultraspiracle [USP]) isolated from the salivary gland of the tick Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and explore the molecular mechanism of ecdysteroid receptor regulation of salivary gland degeneration. Methods The full length of RhEcR and RhUSP open reading frames (ORFs) was obtained from the transcriptome. The RhEcR and RhUSP proteins were expressed in a bacterial heterologous system, Escherichia coli. Polyclonal antibodies were produced against synthetic peptides and were able to recognize recombinant and native proteins. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were used to detect the distribution of RhEcR, RhUSP, and RhCaspases in the R. haemaphysaloides organs. A proteomics approach was used to analyze the expression profiles of the ecdysteroid receptors, RhCaspases, and other proteins. To analyze the function of the ecdysteroid receptor, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to silence the genes in adult female ticks. Finally, the interaction of RhEcR and RhUSP was identified by heterologous co-expression assays in HEK293T cells. Results We identified the functional ecdysone receptor (RhEcR/RhUSP) of 20-hydroxyecdysone from the salivary gland of the tick R. haemaphysaloides. The RhEcR and RhUSP genes have three and two isoforms, respectively, and belong to a nuclear receptor family but with variable N-terminal A/B domains. The RhEcR gene silencing inhibited blood-feeding, blocked engorgement, and restrained salivary gland degeneration, showing the biological role of the RhEcR gene in ticks. In the ecdysteroid signaling pathway, RhEcR silencing inhibited salivary gland degeneration by suppressing caspase-dependent apoptosis. The heterologous expression in mammalian HEK293T cells showed that RhEcR1 interacts with RhUSP1 and induces caspase-dependent apoptosis. Conclusions These data show that RhEcR has an essential role in tick physiology and represents a putative target for the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-05052-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Zhipeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Dongqi Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Houshuang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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22
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Wechtaisong W, Bonnet SI, Chomel BB, Lien YY, Chuang ST, Tsai YL. Investigation of Transovarial Transmission of Bartonella henselae in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato Ticks Using Artificial Feeding. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122501. [PMID: 34946103 PMCID: PMC8705908 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is a slow-growing, Gram-negative bacterium that causes cat scratch disease in humans. A transstadial transmission of the bacteria from larvae to nymphs of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) ticks, suspected to be a potential vector of the bacteria, has been previously demonstrated. The present study aims to investigate transovarial transmission of B. henselae from R. sanguineus s.l. adults to their instars. Adult ticks (25 males and 25 females) were fed through an artificial feeding system on B. henselae-infected goat blood for 14 days, and 300 larvae derived from the experimentally B. henselae-infected females were fed on noninfected goat blood for 7 days. Nested PCR and culture were used to detect and isolate B. henselae in ticks and blood samples. Bartonella henselae DNA was detected in midguts, salivary glands, and carcasses of the semi-engorged adults and pooled tick feces (during feeding and post-feeding periods). After the oviposition period, B. henselae DNA was detected in salivary glands of females (33.3%), but not in pooled eggs or larvae derived from the infected females. However, B. henselae DNA was detected by nested PCR from the blood sample during larval feeding, while no viable B. henselae was isolated by culture. According to our findings, following infected blood meal, B. henselae could remain in the tick midguts, move to other tissues including salivary glands, and then be shed through tick feces with limited persistency. The presence of bacterial DNA in the blood during larval feeding shows the possibility of transovarial transmission of B. henselae in R. sanguineus s.l. ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wittawat Wechtaisong
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan; (W.W.); (Y.-Y.L.)
| | - Sarah I. Bonnet
- Animal Health Department, INRAE, 37380 Nouzilly, France;
- Functional Genetics of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 2000, Université de Paris, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Bruno B. Chomel
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Yi-Yang Lien
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan; (W.W.); (Y.-Y.L.)
| | - Shih-Te Chuang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan;
| | - Yi-Lun Tsai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan; (W.W.); (Y.-Y.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-8-774-0226
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23
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Levin ML, Troughton DR, Loftis AD. Duration of tick attachment necessary for transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophilum by Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101819. [PMID: 34520993 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study assessed the duration of tick attachment necessary for a successful transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophilum by an infected I. scapularis nymph. Individual nymphs were placed upon BALB/c mice and allowed to feed for predetermined time intervals of 4 to 72 h. Ticks removed from mice at predetermined intervals were tested by PCR for verification of infection and evaluation of the bacterial load. The success of pathogen transmission to mice was assessed by blood-PCR at 7, 14 and 21 days postinfestation, and IFA at 21 days postinfestation. Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection was documented in 10-30 % of mice, from which ticks were removed within the first 20 h of feeding. However, transmission success was ≥70% if ticks remained attached for 36 h or longer. Notably, none of the PCR-positive mice that were exposed to infected ticks for 4 to 8 h and only half of PCR-positive mice exposed for 24 h developed antibodies within 3 weeks postinfestation. On the other hand, all mice with detectable bacteremia after being infested for 36 h seroconverted. This suggests that although some of the ticks removed prior to 24 h of attachment succeed in injecting a small amount of A. phagocytophilum, this amount is insufficient for stimulating humoral immunity and perhaps for establishing disseminated infection in BALB/c mice. Although A. phagocytophilum may be present in salivary glands of unfed I. scapularis nymphs, the amount of A. phagocytophilum initially contained in saliva appears insufficient to cause sustainable infection in a host. Replication and, maybe, reactivation of the agent for 12-24 h in a feeding tick is required before a mouse can be consistently infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
| | - Danielle R Troughton
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Amanda D Loftis
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
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24
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Burtis JC, Poggi JD, Payne B, Campbell SR, Harrington LC. Susceptibility of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) to Permethrin Under a Long-Term 4-Poster Deer Treatment Area on Shelter Island, NY. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1966-1969. [PMID: 33822135 PMCID: PMC10601398 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pesticide resistance in medically significant disease vectors can negatively impact the efficacy of control efforts. Resistance research on ticks has focused primarily on species of veterinary significance that experience relatively high degrees of control pressure. Resistance in tick vectors of medical significance has received little attention, in part because area-wide pesticide applications are not used to control these generalist tick species. One of the few effective methods currently used for area-wide control of medically important ticks, including Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), is deployment of 4-poster devices. Deer self-apply a topical acaricide (permethrin) while feeding on corn from the devices. A 4-poster program using permethrin has been deployed on Shelter Island, NY to control I. scapularis populations since 2008. We collected engorged female ticks from deer in this management area and a location in the Mid-Hudson River Valley, NY without area-wide tick control. Larvae were reared from egg masses and their susceptibility to permethrin was tested. Larvae originating from a long-term laboratory colony were used as a susceptible baseline for comparison. Compared against the laboratory colony, resistance ratios at LC-50 for Shelter Island and Hudson Valley I. scapularis were 1.87 and 1.51, respectively. The susceptibilities of the field populations to permethrin were significantly lower than that of the colony ticks. We provide the first data using the larval packet test to establish baseline susceptibility for I. scapularis to permethrin along with information relevant to understanding resistance emergence in tick populations under sustained control pressure from 4-poster devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. Burtis
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Division of Vector-Borne Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Joseph D. Poggi
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Beau Payne
- Shelter Island Police Department, Shelter Island, NY 11964, USA
| | - Scott R. Campbell
- Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Yaphank, NY 11980, USA
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Levin ML, Stanley HM, Hartzer K, Snellgrove AN. Incompetence of the Asian Longhorned Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) in Transmitting the Agent of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis in the United States. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1419-1423. [PMID: 33590859 PMCID: PMC8383286 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae), was recently introduced into the United States and is now established in at least 15 states. Considering its ability for parthenogenetic propagation and propensity for creating high-density populations, there is concern that this tick may become involved in transmission cycles of endemic tick-borne human pathogens. Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum is one of the more common tick-borne diseases in the United States, especially in the northeastern and midwestern states. There is considerable geographical overlap between HGA cases and the currently known distribution of H. longicornis, which creates a potential for this tick to encounter A. phagocytophilum while feeding on naturally infected vertebrate hosts. Therefore, we evaluated the ability of H. longicornis to acquire and transmit the agent of HGA under laboratory conditions and compared it to the vector competence of I. scapularis. Haemaphysalis longicornis nymphs acquired the pathogen with the bloodmeal while feeding on infected domestic goats, but transstadial transmission was inefficient and PCR-positive adult ticks were unable to transmit the pathogen to naïve goats. Results of this study indicate that the Asian longhorned tick is not likely to play a significant role in the epidemiology of HGA in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
- Corresponding author,
| | - Hannah M. Stanley
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Georgia, College of Arts and Sciences, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Kris Hartzer
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Alyssa N. Snellgrove
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
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26
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Of fungi and ticks: Morphological and molecular characterization of fungal contaminants of a laboratory-reared Ixodes ricinus colony. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101732. [PMID: 33992909 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Establishing and maintaining tick colonies in the laboratory is essential for studying their biology and pathogen transmission, or for the development of new tick control methods. Due to their requirement for very high humidity, these laboratory-bred colonies are frequently subject to fungal contamination. In the present study, we aimed to identify the fungal species that contaminated a laboratory-reared colony of Ixodes ricinus through microscopic observation and molecular identification. We identified three different taxa isolated from the ticks: Aspergillus parasiticus, Penicillium steckii, and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. These three species are usually regarded as environmental saprophytic molds but both direct and indirect evidence suggest that they could also be considered as entomopathogenic fungi. Although we do not have any direct evidence that the fungi isolated from I. ricinus in this study could cause lethal infections in ticks, we observed that once infected, heavy fungal growth coupled with very high mortality rates suggest that studying the entomopathogenic potential of these fungi could be relevant to biological tick control.
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Bermúdez S, Martínez-Mandiche J, Domínguez L, Gonzalez C, Chavarria O, Moreno A, Góndola J, Correa N, Rodríguez I, Castillo B, Smith D, Martínez AA. Diversity of Rickettsia in ticks collected from wild animals in Panama. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101723. [PMID: 33857748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents new data about Rickettsia species detected in ticks collected from wild animals, using 16S rRNA, gltA and ompA. Rickettsia DNA was found in 66 of 101 ticks. Using EZ BioCloud libraries were produced reads that identified Rickettsia aeschlimannii, and Illumina BaseSpace produced reads of Rickettsia rickettsii group, Rickettsia bellii group, and unclassified Rickettsia. Using gltA and ompA gene-specific primers, R. aeschlimannii could not be confirmed, but detection of Rickettsia amblyommatis was achieved in Amblyomma auricularium, Amblyomma geayi, Amblyomma mixtum, and Amblyomma pacae; R. bellii from Amblyomma dissimile, "Candidatus Rickettsia colombianensi" from A. dissimile, Rickettsia spp. closely related to R. raoultii from A. geayi, Rickettsia tamurae from A. dissimile, and Rickettsia endosymbionts of Ixodes from Ixodes affinis. There were no databases available specifically for 16S rRNA of Neotropical Rickettsia, highlighting the need to use species primers over only 16S rRNA primers to achieve more accurate interpretations and identifications. These findings increase the number of Rickettsia species detected in Panama and highlight the need to establish isolates to further characterize the nature of Rickettsia in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Bermúdez
- Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama, Panama; Coiba Scientific Station, Coiba AIP, City of Knowledge, Panama.
| | | | | | | | - Oris Chavarria
- Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama, Panama
| | - Ambar Moreno
- Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama, Panama
| | | | - Néstor Correa
- Panamerican Conservation Association, Panama, Panama
| | | | | | | | - Alexander A Martínez
- Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama, Panama; Coiba Scientific Station, Coiba AIP, City of Knowledge, Panama; Panamerican Conservation Association, Panama, Panama; Summit, Municipal Park, Panama, Panama.
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Godsey MS, Rose D, Burkhalter KL, Breuner N, Bosco-Lauth AM, Kosoy OI, Savage HM. Experimental Infection of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) With Bourbon Virus (Orthomyxoviridae: Thogotovirus). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:873-879. [PMID: 33710315 PMCID: PMC7955107 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Following the recent discovery of Bourbon virus (BRBV) as a human pathogen, and the isolation of the virus from Amblyomma americanum (L.) collected near the location of a fatal human case, we undertook a series of experiments to assess the laboratory vector competence of this tick species for BRBV. Larval ticks were infected using an immersion technique, and transstadial transmission of virus to the nymphal and then to the adult stages was demonstrated. Transstadially infected nymphs transmitted virus to adult ticks at very high rates during cofeeding, indicating the presence of infectious virus in the saliva of engorging ticks. Vertical transmission by transstadially infected females to their progeny occurred, but at a low rate. Rabbits fed on by infected ticks of all active life stages developed high titers of antibody to the virus, demonstrating host exposure to BRBV antigens/live virus during tick blood feeding. These results demonstrate that A. americanum is a competent vector of BRBV and indicate that cofeeding could be critical for enzootic maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin S. Godsey
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Dominic Rose
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Kristin L. Burkhalter
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Nicole Breuner
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Angela M. Bosco-Lauth
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, ARBL, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Olga I. Kosoy
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Harry M. Savage
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
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González J, Bickerton M, Toledo A. Applications of artificial membrane feeding for ixodid ticks. Acta Trop 2021; 215:105818. [PMID: 33406442 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites that feed on a large variety of vertebrates. In the laboratory, animals (mainly mice and rabbits) are used to maintain tick colonies. However, the use of animals to rear ticks can be expensive and requires dedicated animal facilities. In addition, research institutions are committed to the principle of 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement), which encourages the use of alternatives to animals when possible. The development of artificial membrane systems has provided an alternative to animals, at least for some tick species. Over the years, different modifications in artificial feeding systems have led to new applications, including acaricide testing, tick-pathogen interaction, and novel approaches to study tick physiology. Although artificial membrane feeding still has some limitations, the method can provide numerous advantages, including the standardization of acaricide treatments under controlled conditions, an alternative to animals for tick rearing, and reduction of cost associated with animals and animal housing facilities. In this review, we summarized the evolution of tick feeding membranes and their applications over time, explaining the modifications incorporated to study tick physiology, tick-pathogen interactions, and acaricide testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia González
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Mathew Bickerton
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; Bergen County Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health, 220 East Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652, USA
| | - Alvaro Toledo
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
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Saleh MN, Allen KE, Lineberry MW, Little SE, Reichard MV. Ticks infesting dogs and cats in North America: Biology, geographic distribution, and pathogen transmission. Vet Parasitol 2021; 294:109392. [PMID: 33971481 PMCID: PMC9235321 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A diverse array of ixodid and argasid ticks infest dogs and cats in North America, resulting in skin lesions, blood loss, and disease. The ticks most commonly found on pets in this region are hard ticks of the genera Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Ixodes, and Rhipicephalus, as well as the more recently established Haemaphysalis longicornis. Soft tick genera, especially Otobius and Ornithodoros, are also reported from pets in some regions. In this review, we provide a summary of the complex and diverse life histories, distinct morphologies, and questing and feeding behaviors of the more common ticks of dogs and cats in North America with a focus on recent changes in geographic distribution. We also review pathogens of dogs and cats associated with the different tick species, some of which can cause serious, potentially fatal disease, and describe the zoonotic risk posed by ticks of pets. Understanding the natural history of ticks and the maintenance cycles responsible for providing an ongoing source of tick-borne infections is critical to effectively combatting the challenges ticks pose to the health of pets and people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meriam N Saleh
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, United States
| | - Kelly E Allen
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, United States.
| | - Megan W Lineberry
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, United States
| | - Susan E Little
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, United States
| | - Mason V Reichard
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, United States
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Bansal N, Pomroy WE, Heath ACG, Castro I. Aspects of the development of Ixodes anatis under different environmental conditions in the laboratory and in the field. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:85. [PMID: 33509249 PMCID: PMC7841883 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04601-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous laboratory and fewer field-based studies have found that ixodid ticks develop more quickly and survive better at temperatures between 18 °C and 26 °C and relative humidity (RH) between 75 and 94%. Ixodes anatis Chilton, 1904, is an endophilic, nidicolous species endemic to North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) (NIBK) and the tokoeka (Apteryx australis), and little is known about the environmental conditions required for its development. The aims of this study were to determine and compare the conditions of temperature and RH that ensure the best survival of the kiwi tick and the shortest interstadial periods, in laboratory conditions and outdoors inside artificial kiwi burrows. METHODS Free-walking engorged ticks were collected off wild kiwi hosts and placed in the laboratory under various fixed temperature and humidity regimes. In addition, sets of the collected ticks at different developmental stages were placed in artificial kiwi burrows. In both settings, we recorded the times taken for the ticks to moult to the next stage. RESULTS Larvae and nymphs both showed optimum development at between 10 °C and 20 °C, which is lower than the optimum temperature for development in many other species of ixodid ticks. However, larvae moulted quicker and survived better when saturation deficits were < 1-2 mmHg (RH > 94%); in comparison, the optimum saturation deficits for nymph development were 1-10 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the kiwi tick has adapted to the stable, but relatively cool and humid conditions in kiwi burrows, reflecting the evolutionary consequences of its association with the kiwi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Bansal
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. .,Wildbase Research, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| | - William E Pomroy
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Allen C G Heath
- AgResearch Ltd, Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Isabel Castro
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.,Wildbase Research, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Reis AC, Konig IFM, Rezende DADCS, Gonçalves RRP, Lunguinho ADS, Ribeiro JCS, Cardoso MDG, Remedio RN. Cytotoxic effects of Satureja montana L. essential oil on oocytes of engorged Rhipicephalus microplus female ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). Microsc Res Tech 2021; 84:1375-1388. [PMID: 33405270 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.23693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In addition to pesticidal activity, the capacity of natural compounds to inhibit the reproduction of parasites emerge as an important alternative tick control method. In this context, Satureja spp. stand out due to their recognized pesticidal properties. Among parasites of veterinary importance, the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is responsible for great economic losses in livestock and transmission of relevant pathogens. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of the essential oil of Satureja montana L. on the ovary morphology of R. microplus engorged females through histological and histochemical techniques. The most remarkable morphological changes found were: cytoplasmic vacuolation of germ cells, irregular and thicker chorion, irregular oocyte shape, ring-shaped nucleolus, decrease in protein and carbohydrate content in oocytes, in addition to cellular changes in the oviduct and pedicel. All morphological changes were assessed using a semiquantitative method already established in the literature. Ticks exposed to 5.0 μl/ml of essential oil showed the most significant changes when compared to control groups. Thus, the essential oil of S. montana L. damaged the reproductive system of R. microplus, which may impair ticks' offspring production and promote a long-term control of this species. HIGHLIGHTS: The essential oil of Satureja montana L. affects the ovary morphology of the cattle tick. The main morphological alterations found were cytoplasmic vacuolation, irregular and thicker chorion and irregular oocyte shape. These alterations may impair the development of eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Chaves Reis
- Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rafael Neodini Remedio
- Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Leal B, Zamora E, Fuentes A, Thomas DB, Dearth RK. Questing by Tick Larvae (Acari: Ixodidae): A Review of the Influences That Affect Off-Host Survival. ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 113:425-438. [PMID: 33244354 PMCID: PMC7677832 DOI: 10.1093/aesa/saaa013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Questing is a host-seeking behavior in which ticks ascend plants, extend their front legs, and wait poised for a chance to attach to a passing host. Hard ticks are ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates and because some species vector disease, they are among the most medically important of arthropod pests. All ixodid ticks require blood to survive and reproduce with the number of blood-hosts needed to complete their life cycle varying among species. The vast majority are three-host ticks requiring a different host for each developmental stage: larva, nymph, and adult. A few, including some of the most economically important species, are one-host ticks, that quest only in the larval stage. Questing is a rate-limiting behavior critical to tick survival and disease transmission. For the off-host larval stage, survival is highly dependent on ecological and physiological factors. Yet, off-host larval ecophysiology is often overlooked for the more obvious adult and nymphal tick-host interactions. This review summarizes the literature on ixodid larval questing with emphasis on how specific biotic and abiotic factors affect off-host survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Leal
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX
| | - Emily Zamora
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX
| | - Austin Fuentes
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX
| | - Donald B Thomas
- U.S Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, North Moorefield Road, Edinburg, TX
| | - Robert K Dearth
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX
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Sebastian PS, Flores FS, Saracho-Bottero MN, Tarragona EL, Venzal JM, Nava S. Molecular detection of rickettsial bacteria in ticks of the genus Ixodes from the Southern Cone of America. Acta Trop 2020; 210:105588. [PMID: 32553859 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
To obtain information about rickettsial bacteria in ticks of the genus Ixodes from Argentina and Uruguay, specimens of I. fuscipes (previously named as I. aragaoi), Ixodes pararicinus, Ixodes sp. cf. I. affinis, and Ixodes sp. were tested targeting the rickettsial gltA and ompA genes. Rickettsial bacteria was detected in all of these species. Rickettsia found in Ixodes sp. is closely related to Ca. Rickettsia mendelii, which was previously detected in I. ricinus of the Czech Republic and later in I. brunneus from the USA. Phylogenetic analyses of the Rickettsia strains found in I. fuscipes, I. pararicinus, and Ixodes sp. cf. I. affinis showed that these strains form a clade together with R. buchneri detected in I. scapularis from the USA, which is closely related to R. monacensis from Europe. Rickettsia buchneri, R. cooleyi and the Rickettsia detected in I. fuscipes, I. pararicinus, and Ixodes sp. cf. I. affinis clustered together in a clade well supported, which suggest that they are different strains of R. buchneri. The phylogenetic analysis shows that Ixodes ticks that are closely related in evolutionary terms (i.e. Ixodes species from the I. ricinus complex, I. brunneus-Ixodes sp.) share closely related rickettsial strains. The results of this study show that rickettsial bacteria are present in Ixodes ticks from Argentina and describe the first detection of Ca. R. mendelii in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S Sebastian
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Fernando S Flores
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICiVet-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CP 3080, Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - María N Saracho-Bottero
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Evelina L Tarragona
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - José M Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, CP 50000, Salto, Uruguay
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
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de Oliveira MVS, Konig IFM, Reis AC, Silva L, Peconick AP, Thomasi SS, Lima-De-Souza JR, Camargo-Mathias MI, Remedio RN. Sublethal concentrations of acetylcarvacrol affect reproduction and integument morphology in the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Acari: Ixodidae). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 82:265-279. [PMID: 32857314 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00538-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), also known as the brown dog tick, is among the main tick species involved in the transmission of pathogens to humans and other animals and, therefore, the target of numerous control methods. However, due to the disadvantages of synthetic acaricides, the use of alternative products such as plant derivatives has been encouraged. This study aimed to evaluate the acaricidal potential of acetylcarvacrol and to determine its efficacy at sublethal doses for the control of R. sanguineus s.l. female ticks. In addition, as acetylcarvacrol was applied topically, morphological alterations in the integument were assessed. Acetylation of carvacrol was performed by reaction with acetic anhydride in a sodium hydroxide solution, being confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. The lethal concentration for 50 and 90% (LC50 and LC90) of unfed ticks and the efficacy of acetylcarvacrol in engorged females were determined after the Adult Immersion Test (AIT). For the evaluation of effects of acetylcarvacrol in the integument, routine histological techniques were employed after the AIT. The LC50 and LC90 in unfed females were 2.8 and 7.2 μL/mL, respectively. Regarding reproductive performance, after treatment with 8.0 μL/mL acetylcarvacrol 90.9% control was achieved, as ticks showed the lowest egg production index (EPI), hatching rate (HR), and fecundity rate (FR). In the integument, considerable morphological alterations were observed both in cuticle and epithelium. Thus, acetylcarvacrol affected R. sanguineus s.l. external coating and reproduction when applied at sublethal concentrations, probably contributing to a long-term control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aline Chaves Reis
- Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Av. Dr. Sylvio Menicucci 1001, Lavras, MG, 37.200-900, Brazil
| | - Larissa Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Peconick
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Neodini Remedio
- Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Av. Dr. Sylvio Menicucci 1001, Lavras, MG, 37.200-900, Brazil.
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Wechtaisong W, Bonnet SI, Lien YY, Chuang ST, Tsai YL. Transmission of Bartonella henselae within Rhipicephalus sanguineus: Data on the Potential Vector Role of the Tick. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008664. [PMID: 33001978 PMCID: PMC7553266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is a fastidious intraerythrocytic, gram-negative bacteria that causes cat scratch disease in humans. Ixodes ricinus has been confirmed to be a competent vector of B. henselae, and some indirect evidences from clinical cases and epidemiological studies also suggested that some other tick species, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus, may transmit the bacteria. B. henselae has been detected in R. sanguineus but no experimental investigations have been performed to evaluate the vector competency of this tick species regarding B. henselae transmission. To this end, this work aimed to assess the transstadial transmission of B. henselae between larvae and nymphs of R. sanguineus as well as transmission by nymphs infected at the larval stage. Four hundred B. henselae negative larvae were fed with B. henselae-infected blood by using an artificial membrane feeding system. After five days of feeding, B. henselae was detected by PCR in 57.1% (8/14) of engorged larval pools, 66.7% (4/6) of semi-engorged larval pools, and 66.7% (2/3) of larval feces pools. After molting, B. henselae DNA was also detected in 10% (1/10) of nymph pools, but not in tick feces. After a pre-fed step of nymphs infected at the larval stage on non-infected blood meal, B. henselae was detected by PCR in blood sample from the feeder, but no Bartonella colonies could be obtained from culture. These findings showed that B. henselae could be transstadial transmitted from R. sanguineus larvae to nymphs, and also suggest that these nymphs may retransmitted the bacteria through the saliva during their blood meal. This is the first study that validated the artificial membrane feeding system for maintaining R. sanguineus tick colony. It shows the possibility of transstadial transmission of B. henselae from R. sanguineus larvae to nymphs. B. henselae is gram-negative bacteria that infects red blood cells of humans and companion animals and causes cat scratch disease in humans. Ticks were considered to be potential vectors of B. henselae for a long time until it was finally experimentally demonstrated for Ixodes ricinus. Since then, no evidence on B. henselae transmission by other tick species was reported. This study was performed 1) to validate the use of artificial membrane system to feed and infect R. sanguineus ticks and 2) to determine the possibility of B. henselae transmission by R. sanguineus, a world-widely distributed ticks. Our results show that the artificial membrane feeding system can be used to maintain R. sanguineus colony in the laboratory, and that B. henselae can be acquired by R. sanguineus during a blood meal on artificial membrane feeding system and can be transmitted from larvae to nymphs that were able to inject bacterial DNA to blood during a new blood meal. However, further investigations are still needed to confirm the viability of bacteria transmitted to blood by nymphs infected at the larval stage in order to validate B. henselae transmission by R. sanguineus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wittawat Wechtaisong
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Sarah I. Bonnet
- UMR BIPAR, INRAE, Ecole Vétérinaire d’Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Yi-Yang Lien
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Te Chuang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Lun Tsai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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Stanley HM, Ford SL, Snellgrove AN, Hartzer K, Smith EB, Krapiunaya I, Levin ML. The Ability of the Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) to Acquire and Transmit Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), the Agent of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Under Laboratory Conditions. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1635-1639. [PMID: 32338290 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The invasive Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, was first detected in the United States in 2017. It has since been found in 12 states, and there is concern that the tick's parthenogenetic ability and wide variety of host species may allow for broader dissemination. Of the tick-borne diseases endemic to the United States, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a rapidly progressive and potentially fatal disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, is the most severe. There is considerable geographical overlap between spotted fever rickettsioses cases, which include RMSF, and the currently known distribution of H. longicornis, providing the potential for this tick to encounter this pathogen. We have evaluated the ability of H. longicornis to acquire and transmit R. rickettsii under laboratory conditions. Haemaphysalis longicornis as larvae and nymphs acquired the pathogen while feeding on infected guinea pigs. The infection persisted through every life stage, all of which were able to transmit R. rickettsii to naïve hosts. The pathogen was also transmitted at a low frequency between generations of H. longicornis through the ova. While H. longicornis was demonstrated to be a competent vector for R. rickettsii under laboratory conditions, the probability of its involvement in the maintenance and transmission of this pathogen in nature, as well as its potential impact on human health, requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Stanley
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Shelby L Ford
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Alyssa N Snellgrove
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kris Hartzer
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Inna Krapiunaya
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Michael L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
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Konig IFM, Oliveira MVS, Gonçalves RRP, Peconick AP, Thomasi SS, Anholeto LA, Lima-de-Souza JR, Camargo-Mathias MI, Remedio RN. Low concentrations of acetylcarvacrol induce drastic morphological damages in ovaries of surviving Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). Micron 2020; 129:102780. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2019.102780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Pollet T, Sprong H, Lejal E, Krawczyk AI, Moutailler S, Cosson JF, Vayssier-Taussat M, Estrada-Peña A. The scale affects our view on the identification and distribution of microbial communities in ticks. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:36. [PMID: 31964404 PMCID: PMC6975024 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3908-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks transmit the highest variety of pathogens impacting human and animal health worldwide. It is now well established that ticks also harbour a microbial complex of coexisting symbionts, commensals and pathogens. With the development of high throughput sequencing technologies, studies dealing with such diverse bacterial composition in tick considerably increased in the past years and revealed an unexpected microbial diversity. These data on diversity and composition of the tick microbes are increasingly available, giving crucial details on microbial communities in ticks and improving our knowledge on the tick microbial community. However, consensus is currently lacking as to which scales (tick organs, individual specimens or species, communities of ticks, populations adapted to particular environmental conditions, spatial and temporal scales) best facilitate characterizing microbial community composition of ticks and understanding the diverse relationships among tick-borne bacteria. Temporal or spatial scales have a clear influence on how we conduct ecological studies, interpret results, and understand interactions between organisms that build the microbiome. We consider that patterns apparent at one scale can collapse into noise when viewed from other scales, indicating that processes shaping tick microbiome have a continuum of variability that has not yet been captured. Based on available reports, this review demonstrates how much the concept of scale is crucial to be considered in tick microbial community studies to improve our knowledge on tick microbe ecology and pathogen/microbiota interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pollet
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Emilie Lejal
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Aleksandra I Krawczyk
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Moutailler
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jean-Francois Cosson
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
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Couper LI, Yang Y, Yang XF, Swei A. Comparative vector competence of North American Lyme disease vectors. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:29. [PMID: 31937369 PMCID: PMC6961398 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3893-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the drivers of Lyme disease incidence at broad spatial scales is critical for predicting and mitigating human disease risk. Previous studies have identified vector phenology and behavior, host community composition, and landscape features as drivers of variable Lyme disease risk. However, while the Lyme disease transmission cycles in the eastern and western USA involve different vector species (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus, respectively), the role of vector-specific differences in transmission efficiency has not been directly examined. By comparing the performance of traits involved in vector competence between these two species, this study aims to identify how vector competence contributes to variable Lyme disease risk. METHODS We used a suite of laboratory experiments to compare the performance of traits related to vector competence for the two USA Lyme disease vectors. For each species, we measured the rate of attachment to a common rodent host, the engorgement weight, and the efficiency of pathogen acquisition (host to tick) and pathogen transmission (tick to host) from laboratory mice. In measuring pathogen acquisition and transmission, we used two different pathogen strains, one sympatric with I. scapularis and one sympatric with I. pacificus, to assess the importance of vector-pathogen coevolutionary history in transmission dynamics. RESULTS We found I. pacificus had significantly higher host attachment success and engorgement weights, but significantly lower pathogen transmission efficiency relative to I. scapularis. Molting success and pathogen acquisition did not differ between these two species. However, pathogen acquisition efficiency was significantly higher for both sympatric vector and pathogen strains than the allopatric pairings. CONCLUSIONS This study identified species-specific vector traits as a potential driver of broad scale variation in Lyme disease risk in the USA. In particular, the exceedingly low rates of pathogen transmission from tick to host observed for I. pacificus may limit Lyme disease transmission efficiency in the western USA. Further, observed variation in pathogen acquisition between sympatric and allopatric vector-pathogen strains indicate that vector-pathogen coevolutionary history may play a key role in transmission dynamics. These findings underscore the need to consider vector traits and vector-pathogen coevolution as important factors governing regional Lyme disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa I Couper
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Youyun Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Frank Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Rosendale AJ, Dunlevy ME, McCue MD, Benoit JB. Progressive behavioural, physiological and transcriptomic shifts over the course of prolonged starvation in ticks. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:49-65. [PMID: 30449039 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are obligatorily hematophagous but spend the majority of their lives off host in an unfed state where they must resist starvation between bouts of blood feeding. Survival during these extended off-host periods is critical to the success of these arthropods as vectors of disease; however, little is known about the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms of starvation tolerance in ticks. We examined the bioenergetic, transcriptomic and behavioural changes of female American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis, throughout starvation (up to nine months post-bloodmeal). As starvation progressed, ticks utilized glycogen and lipid, and later protein as energy reserves with proteolysis and autophagy facilitating the mobilization of endogenous nutrients. The metabolic rate of the ticks was expectedly low, but showed a slight increase as starvation progressed possibly reflecting the upregulation of several energetically costly processes such as transcription/translation and/or increases in host-seeking behaviours. Starved ticks had higher activity levels, increased questing behaviour and augmented expression of genes related to chemosensing, immunity and salivary gland proteins. The shifts in gene expression and associated behavioural and physiological processes are critical to allowing these parasites to exploit their ecological niche as extreme sit-and-wait parasites. The overall responses of ticks to starvation were similar to other blood-feeding arthropods, but we identified unique responses that could have epidemiological and ecological significance for ticks as ectoparasites that must be tolerant of sporadic feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Megan E Dunlevy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Kim JY, Kho JW, Jung M, Lee DH. Assessment of potential effects and detection efficacy of a fluorescent marking system on a medically important hard tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2019; 75:2735-2743. [PMID: 30785237 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) is an important disease vector, its small size restricts the tracking methods applicable. Recently, fluorescent marking as a conventional detection method for small arthropods has been improved by combining it with an ultraviolet laser. We examined the application potential of this new fluorescent marking system (FMS) for tracking H. longicornis by evaluating the effect of fluorescent marking on the ticks and detection efficacy. RESULTS Under laboratory conditions, fluorescent marking did not significantly affect the survivorship, movement patterns, and CO2 response of H. longicornis at all three developmental stages. Fluorescent-marked individuals could be detected at distances ranging from 12 to 29 m under dark, increasing with the body size. Finally, in grassland, >90% of fluorescent-marked individuals were retrieved at night regardless of developmental stage. However, the overall detection rate (<42%) was substantially reduced during the day. CONCLUSIOIN Our results show that FMS can reliably detect H. longicornis at night. Nevertheless, fluorescent-marked individuals are not as conspicuous under sunlight when they are illuminated with ultraviolet lasers, limiting the use of FMS during the day. Therefore, the development of an alternative tracking method is warranted for an effective detection of ticks during the day. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo-Young Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Jung-Wook Kho
- Department of Life Sciences, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Minhyung Jung
- Department of Life Sciences, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Doo-Hyung Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
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Showler AT, Donahue WA, Harlien JL, Donahue MW, Vinson BE, Thomas DB. Efficacy of Novaluron + Pyriproxyfen (Tekko Pro) Insect Growth Regulators Against Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 56:1338-1345. [PMID: 31102515 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Ixodids are globally distributed pests that transmit many disease agents. Increasing resistance to conventional acaricides raises the need for alternative tactics. Novaluron and pyriproxyfen are insect growth regulators (IGRs) that have variable potencies against acarines. We conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments to assess novaluron + pyriproxyfen (marketed as Tekko Pro) against four ixodid species. Laboratory assays on the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), and the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), reduced metabolic activity in larvae and nymphs. Concentrations of novaluron + pyriproxyfen dried on filter paper impeded molting of larval R. sanguineus (less effective against nymphs). Molting A. americanum larvae were reduced by >95% using 4 and 8 µg/cm2 eliminated molting; nymphal molting was reduced but not halted even at 16 µg/cm2. On calves, novaluron + pyriproxyfen stopped larval A. americanum metabolic function 1 d post-treatment and larvae did not molt. When larvae were released 30 d after treatment, metabolic activity was reduced by 95% and molting was reduced by 94%. Southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), larvae released 1 d after treatment on calves were 99% prevented from reaching adulthood. The treatment did not interfere with larval development when larvae were released 52 d after treatment. The cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Say) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), failed to reach adulthood when larvae were released on calves a day after treatment (residual activity was not assessed for R. annulatus). These IGRs, and possibly others, offer an alternative to conventional acaricides for ixodid control on cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan T Showler
- USDA-ARS, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
| | | | - Jessica L Harlien
- USDA-ARS, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
| | | | | | - Donald B Thomas
- USDA-ARS, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, Mission, TX
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Koosha M, Vatandoost H, Karimian F, Choubdar N, Oshaghi MA. Delivery of a Genetically Marked Serratia AS1 to Medically Important Arthropods for Use in RNAi and Paratransgenic Control Strategies. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 78:185-194. [PMID: 30460544 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1289-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how arthropod vectors acquire their bacteria is essential for implementation of paratransgenic and RNAi strategies using genetically modified bacteria to control vector-borne diseases. In this study, a genetically marked Serratia AS1 strain expressing the mCherry fluorescent protein (mCherry-Serratia) was used to test various acquisition routes in six arthropod vectors including Anopheles stephensi, Culex pipiens, Cx. quinquefaciatus, Cx. theileri, Phlebotomus papatasi, and Hyalomma dromedarii. Depending on the species, the bacteria were delivered to (i) mosquito larval breeding water, (ii) host skin, (iii) sugar bait, and (iv) males (paratransgenic). The arthropods were screened for the bacteria in their guts or other tissues. All the hematophagous arthropods were able to take the bacteria from the skin of their hosts while taking blood meal. The mosquitoes were able to take up the bacteria from the water at larval stages and to transfer them transstadially to adults and finally to transfer them to the water they laid eggs in. The mosquitoes were also able to acquire the bacteria from male sperm. The level of bacterial acquisition was influenced by blood feeding time and strategies (pool or vessel feeding), dipping in water and resting time of newly emerged adult mosquitoes, and the disseminated tissue/organ. Transstadial, vertical, and venereal bacterial acquisition would increase the sustainability of the modified bacteria in vector populations and decrease the need for supplementary release experiments whereas release of paratransgenic males that do not bite has fewer ethical issues. Furthermore, this study is required to determine if the modified bacteria can be introduced to arthropods in the same routes in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Koosha
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Vatandoost
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fateh Karimian
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nayyereh Choubdar
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Oshaghi
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran.
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Microbiome analysis of Ixodes scapularis ticks from New York and Connecticut. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:894-900. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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46
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Thapa S, Zhang Y, Allen MS. Effects of temperature on bacterial microbiome composition in Ixodes scapularis ticks. Microbiologyopen 2019; 8:e00719. [PMID: 30239169 PMCID: PMC6528569 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis, the blacklegged deer tick, is the principal vector of Lyme disease in North America. Environmental factors are known to influence regional and seasonal incidence of Lyme disease and possibly the endemicity of the disease to the northeastern and upper mid-western regions of the United States. With a goal to understand the impact of environmental temperature on microbial communities within the tick, we investigated the bacterial microbiome of colony-reared I. scapularis ticks statically incubated at different temperatures (4, 20, 30, and 37°C) at a constant humidity in a controlled laboratory setting by comparison of sequenced amplicons of the bacterial 16S V4 rRNA gene to that of the untreated baseline controls. The microbiomes of colony-reared I. scapularis males were distinct than that of females, which were entirely dominated by Rickettsia. In silico removal of Rickettsia sequences from female data revealed the underlying bacterial community, which is consistent in complexity with those seen among male ticks. The bacterial community composition of these ticks changes upon incubation at 30°C for a week and 37°C for more than 5 days. Moreover, the male ticks incubated at 30 and 37°C exhibited significantly different bacterial diversity compared to the initial baseline microbiome, and the change in bacterial diversity was dependent upon duration of exposure. Rickettsia-free data revealed a significantly different bacterial diversity in female ticks incubated at 37°C compared to that of 4 and 20°C treatments. These results provide experimental evidence that environmental temperature can impact the tick bacterial microbiome in a laboratory setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Thapa
- Tick Borne Disease Research LaboratoryDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and GeneticsUniversity of North Texas Health Science CenterFort WorthTexas
| | - Yan Zhang
- Tick Borne Disease Research LaboratoryDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and GeneticsUniversity of North Texas Health Science CenterFort WorthTexas
| | - Michael S. Allen
- Tick Borne Disease Research LaboratoryDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and GeneticsUniversity of North Texas Health Science CenterFort WorthTexas
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Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Infection and Transmission Dynamics in Amblyomma maculatum. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00804-18. [PMID: 30642897 PMCID: PMC6434108 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00804-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick vectors are capable of transmitting several rickettsial species to vertebrate hosts, resulting in various levels of disease. Studies have demonstrated the transmissibility of both rickettsial pathogens and novel Rickettsia species or strains with unknown pathogenicity to vertebrate hosts during tick blood meal acquisition; however, the quantitative nature of transmission remains unknown. Tick vectors are capable of transmitting several rickettsial species to vertebrate hosts, resulting in various levels of disease. Studies have demonstrated the transmissibility of both rickettsial pathogens and novel Rickettsia species or strains with unknown pathogenicity to vertebrate hosts during tick blood meal acquisition; however, the quantitative nature of transmission remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that if infection severity is a function of the rickettsial load delivered during tick transmission, then a more virulent spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia species is transmitted at higher levels during tick feeding. Using Amblyomma maculatum cohorts infected with Rickettsia parkeri or “Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae,” a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was employed to quantify rickettsiae in tick salivary glands and saliva, as well as in the vertebrate hosts at the tick attachment site over the duration of tick feeding. Significantly greater numbers of R. parkeri than of “Ca. Rickettsia andeanae” rickettsiae were present in tick saliva and salivary glands and in the vertebrate hosts at the feeding site during tick feeding. Microscopy demonstrated the presence of both rickettsial species in tick salivary glands, and immunohistochemical analysis of the attachment site identified localized R. parkeri, but not “Ca. Rickettsia andeanae,” in the vertebrate host. Lesions were also distinct and more severe in vertebrate hosts exposed to R. parkeri than in those exposed to “Ca. Rickettsia andeanae.” The specific factors that contribute to the generation of a sustained rickettsial infection and subsequent disease have yet to be elucidated, but the results of this study suggest that the rickettsial load in ticks and during transmission may be an important element.
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48
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Showler AT, Osbrink WLA, Munoz E, Caesar RM, Abrigo V. Lethal Effects of Silica Gel-Based CimeXa and Kaolin-Based Surround Dusts Against Ixodid (Acari: Ixodidae) Eggs, Larvae, and Nymphs. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 56:215-221. [PMID: 30202867 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
As tick resistance to conventional acaricides becomes more common, alternative control tactics are gaining attention. Insecticidal dusts CimeXa and Surround, based on silica gel and kaolin, respectively, were assessed against Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) eggs, larvae, and nymphs in the laboratory. Coverage by the dry dusts, particularly CimeXa, was strongly lethal to larvae and to a lesser extent to nymphs. Larval mortality was also high when larvae crawled across thin layers of CimeXa and, to a lesser extent, Surround dusts. CimeXa was more lethal to nymphs that crawled across a thin layer than Surround. Larval mortality after crawling on dried aqueous suspensions of the dusts for 30 min and for 48 h caused moderate mortality (<80%) regardless of a 10-fold difference in concentration; nymphal mortality was negligible. In a field experiment, CimeXa dust strongly reduced numbers of Gulf coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum (Koch) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), larvae and nymphs by 24 h. Possible application of CimeXa to control other species of ixodid ticks is discussed as well as advantages and disadvantages of using dusts for tick control under field conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan T Showler
- USDA-ARS, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
| | - Weste L A Osbrink
- USDA-ARS, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
| | - Eduardo Munoz
- Department of Science, Schreiner University, Kerrville, TX
| | - Ryan M Caesar
- Department of Science, Schreiner University, Kerrville, TX
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Mangan MJ, Foré SA, Kim HJ. Ecological modeling over seven years to describe the number of host-seeking Amblyomma americanum in each life stage in northeast Missouri. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2018; 43:271-284. [PMID: 30408283 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma americanum (L.), the lone star tick, is a vector of pathogens in humans and other animals throughout the United States. Our objective was to characterize how environmental factors influence patterns of A. americanum activity throughout its life cycle by creating statistical models that describe the number of active off-host larvae, nymphs, and adults in northeast Missouri from 2007 to 2013. Ticks were collected every other week from a permanent sampling grid in a second-growth forest and in an old field habitat. Each of the three life stage models considered six meteorological variables and one biotic variable. Regression modeling was used to make candidate models which were evaluated with eight selection criteria. Best-selected models were useful in describing seasonality and magnitude of A. americanum activity for larvae, nymphs, and adults. While distinct subsets of environmental variables were optimal in each life stage, all three models incorporated cumulative degree days, habitat, and number of ticks in the previous life stage. These models further elucidate how environmental and demographic factors influence patterns of host-seeking activity throughout the A. americanum life cycle, providing insight into how changing climate may impact risk of tick-borne pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Mangan
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, U.S.A
| | - Stephanie A Foré
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, U.S.A
| | - Hyun-Joo Kim
- Department of Statistics, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, U.S.A
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50
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Matos RS, Daemon E, de Oliveira Monteiro CM, Sampieri BR, Marchesini PBC, Delmonte C, Camargo-Mathias MI. Thymol action on cells and tissues of the synganglia and salivary glands of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato females (Acari: Ixodidae). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:314-320. [PMID: 30472100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Thymol is a monoterpene present in plants of the families Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae and Apiaceae. Despite its proven acaricidal activity, little is known about the mechanism of action of thymol in ticks. Thus, the aim of this study was to perform a morpho-histochemical analysis of the synganglion and salivary glands of partially engorged females of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), exposed to thymol at different concentrations. Five groups were established: Control Group I (distilled water), Control Group II (ethanol 30%), Group III (thymol 1.25 mg/mL), Group IV (thymol 2.5 mg/mL) and Group V (thymol 5.0 mg/mL). The females were exposed to the treatments by the immersion method and subsequently kept in a climatic chamber (27 ± 1 °C and relative humidity 80 ± 10%) for five days. After this period, the synganglion and salivary glands were removed, and the hematoxylin/eosin morphological technique was applied. The von Kossa staining method with counterstaining neutral red was performed on the salivary glands. The results showed that females exposed to thymol had damaged synganglia, with pyknotic nuclei and vacuoles in the cortex and subperineurial regions, as well as rupture of the neural lamellae. The salivary glands showed type I acini with a dilated lumen. Cells with extremely vacuolated cytoplasm and fragmented nuclei were observed in type II and III acini. Type II acini of the females exposed to thymol revealed different calcium staining when compared to the Control Groups I and II. We therefore conclude that the salivary glands and synganglion are subject to changes in morphology and calcium levels when exposed to thymol at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 mg/mL, demonstrating that this monoterpene has acaricidal potential on partially engorged females of R. sanguineus (s.l.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Silva Matos
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Av. 24 A, n° 1515, cx. Postal 199, CEP: 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
| | - Erik Daemon
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas - Comportamento e Biologia Animal da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora(1), Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, s/n, Bairro Martelos, CEP. 36036-330, Juiz de For a, MG, Brazil
| | - Caio Márcio de Oliveira Monteiro
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública - IPTSP da Universidade Federal de Rua 235, s/n, Setor Universitário, CEP: 74605-050, Góias, GO, Brazil
| | - Bruno Rodrigues Sampieri
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Av. 24 A, n° 1515, cx. Postal 199, CEP: 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Paula Barroso C Marchesini
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BR-465, Km 7, CEP: 23.897-000, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Camila Delmonte
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas - Comportamento e Biologia Animal da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora(1), Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, s/n, Bairro Martelos, CEP. 36036-330, Juiz de For a, MG, Brazil
| | - Maria Izabel Camargo-Mathias
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Av. 24 A, n° 1515, cx. Postal 199, CEP: 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
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