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Jmel MA, Voet H, Araújo RN, Tirloni L, Sá-Nunes A, Kotsyfakis M. Tick Salivary Kunitz-Type Inhibitors: Targeting Host Hemostasis and Immunity to Mediate Successful Blood Feeding. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:1556. [PMID: 36675071 PMCID: PMC9865953 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Kunitz domain-containing proteins are ubiquitous serine protease inhibitors with promising therapeutic potential. They target key proteases involved in major cellular processes such as inflammation or hemostasis through competitive inhibition in a substrate-like manner. Protease inhibitors from the Kunitz superfamily have a low molecular weight (18-24 kDa) and are characterized by the presence of one or more Kunitz motifs consisting of α-helices and antiparallel β-sheets stabilized by three disulfide bonds. Kunitz-type inhibitors are an important fraction of the protease inhibitors found in tick saliva. Their roles in inhibiting and/or suppressing host homeostatic responses continue to be shown to be additive or synergistic with other protease inhibitors such as cystatins or serpins, ultimately mediating successful blood feeding for the tick. In this review, we discuss the biochemical features of tick salivary Kunitz-type protease inhibitors. We focus on their various effects on host hemostasis and immunity at the molecular and cellular level and their potential therapeutic applications. In doing so, we highlight that their pharmacological properties can be exploited for the development of novel therapies and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Amine Jmel
- Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hanne Voet
- Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ricardo N. Araújo
- Laboratory of Hematophagous Arthropods, Department of Parasitology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Molecular Entomology, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (INCT-EM/CNPq), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Anderson Sá-Nunes
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Molecular Entomology, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (INCT-EM/CNPq), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Michail Kotsyfakis
- Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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2
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Shen C, Zhang M, Liang H, He J, Zhang B, Liang B. Gene cloning and functional study of PmKSPI from Pinctada fucata martensii. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 131:1157-1165. [PMID: 36400373 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors (KSPI) are a family of serine protease inhibitors (SPIs) and are extensively found in animals, plants, and microbes. SPI can inhibit proteases that may be harmful or unwanted to its cells. Here, a four-domain Kunitz-type SPI, PmKSPI, was cloned by RACE in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii. The full-length cDNA sequence of PmKSPI was 1318 bp, including the 5' UTR (25 bp), the 3' UTR (96 bp) and ORF (1197 bp). Homology analysis indicated that PmKSPI had the highest resemblance (30.14%) with its homolog in Crassostrea gigas. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PmKSPI clustered with homologs in other molluscs. We found that PmKSPI mRNA expression in P. f. martensii was distributed in all six tissues, with the highest level in the mantle, and almost no expression in other tissues. After PAMPs challenge, expression of PmKSPI mRNA in the mantle was significantly up-regulated. The recombinant protein rPmKSPI significantly inhibited the growth of 5 kinds of Gram-negative bacteria but had little effect on Gram-positive bacterial activity. Transmission electron microscopy showed that plasmolysis occurred in two Gram-negative bacteria species when treated with rPmKSPI. rPmKSPI may thus have a bactericidal effect by destroying the bacterial cell membrane or cell walls and releasing its contents. Therefore, our results suggest that PmKSPI is tightly associated with the immunological defence of P. f. martensii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghao Shen
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Meizhen Zhang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Haiying Liang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China.
| | - Junjun He
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Bidan Liang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
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Guizzo MG, Budachetri K, Adegoke A, Ribeiro JMC, Karim S. Rickettsia parkeri infection modulates the sialome and ovariome of the Gulf coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1023980. [PMID: 36439862 PMCID: PMC9684213 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1023980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of several tick-borne pathogens, including Rickettsia parkeri. The ability of R. parkeri to persist within the tick population through transovarial and transstadial transmission, without apparently harming the ticks, contributes to the pathogen's perpetuation in the tick population. Previous studies have shown that the R. parkeri load in A. maculatum is regulated by the tick tissues' oxidant/antioxidant balance and the non-pathogenic tick microbiome. To obtain further insights into the interaction between tick and pathogen, we performed a bulk RNA-Seq for differential transcriptomic analysis of ovaries and salivary glands from R. parkeri-infected and uninfected ticks over the feeding course on a host. The most differentially expressed functional category was of bacterial origin, exhibiting a massive overexpression of bacterial transcripts in response to the R. parkeri infection. Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii and bacteria from the genus Rickettsia were mainly responsible for the overexpression of bacterial transcripts. Host genes were also modulated in R. parkeri-infected tick organs. A similar number of host transcripts from all analyzed functional categories was negatively and positively modulated, revealing a global alteration of the A. maculatum transcriptome in response to pathogen infection. R. parkeri infection led to an increase in salivary transcripts involved in blood feeding success as well as a decrease in ovarian immune transcripts. We hypothesize that these transcriptional alterations facilitate pathogen persistence and transmission within tick population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Khemraj Budachetri
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Jose M. C. Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
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Fogaça AC, Sousa G, Pavanelo DB, Esteves E, Martins LA, Urbanová V, Kopáček P, Daffre S. Tick Immune System: What Is Known, the Interconnections, the Gaps, and the Challenges. Front Immunol 2021; 12:628054. [PMID: 33737931 PMCID: PMC7962413 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.628054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are ectoparasitic arthropods that necessarily feed on the blood of their vertebrate hosts. The success of blood acquisition depends on the pharmacological properties of tick saliva, which is injected into the host during tick feeding. Saliva is also used as a vehicle by several types of pathogens to be transmitted to the host, making ticks versatile vectors of several diseases for humans and other animals. When a tick feeds on an infected host, the pathogen reaches the gut of the tick and must migrate to its salivary glands via hemolymph to be successfully transmitted to a subsequent host during the next stage of feeding. In addition, some pathogens can colonize the ovaries of the tick and be transovarially transmitted to progeny. The tick immune system, as well as the immune system of other invertebrates, is more rudimentary than the immune system of vertebrates, presenting only innate immune responses. Although simpler, the large number of tick species evidences the efficiency of their immune system. The factors of their immune system act in each tick organ that interacts with pathogens; therefore, these factors are potential targets for the development of new strategies for the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases. The objective of this review is to present the prevailing knowledge on the tick immune system and to discuss the challenges of studying tick immunity, especially regarding the gaps and interconnections. To this end, we use a comparative approach of the tick immune system with the immune system of other invertebrates, focusing on various components of humoral and cellular immunity, such as signaling pathways, antimicrobial peptides, redox metabolism, complement-like molecules and regulated cell death. In addition, the role of tick microbiota in vector competence is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréa C. Fogaça
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Géssica Sousa
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel B. Pavanelo
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Esteves
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa A. Martins
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Veronika Urbanová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Petr Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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5
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Liu L, Tang H, Feng LL, Cheng TY. Hemalin from Haemaphysalis flava ticks: cloning, expression and antithrombogenicity. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 35:42-50. [PMID: 32748973 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Hemalin, initially described in Haemaphysalis longicornis, is a protein with anticoagulant activity. We retrieved a gene fragment functionally annotated as hemalin from H. flava salivary gland transcriptomic library, but its full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) and antithrombogenicity have not been investigated in the species. Here we cloned the full length of hemalin (Hf-hemalin) by 3'-end rapid-amplification of cDNA ends, and the open reading frame (ORF) of Hf-hemalin was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein (rHf-Hemalin) was tested for antithrombogenicity. The full-length of Hf-hemalin was 607 bp with an ORF of423 bp. Protein encoded by Hf-hemalin was predicted to contain 2 Kunitz domains and a signal peptide. The expression of Hf-hemalin in salivary glands, midguts and ovaries was higher in the semi-engorged than the fully engorged. Prokaryotic expression yielded a product of 40 kDa containing a glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag. Incubation of rHf-Hemalin with rat plasma significantly extended prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time compared with normal saline and GST controls. Our data demonstrated that Hemalin from H. flava shared a similar primary structure with that from H. longicornis, and was also anticoagulant. Further investigations are needed to test its feasibility to be an antigen candidate for the development of vaccines against ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Safety Production of Livestock and Poultry, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - H Tang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Safety Production of Livestock and Poultry, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - L-L Feng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Safety Production of Livestock and Poultry, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - T-Y Cheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Safety Production of Livestock and Poultry, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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Mechanisms Affecting the Acquisition, Persistence and Transmission of Francisella tularensis in Ticks. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111639. [PMID: 33114018 PMCID: PMC7690693 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Over 600,000 vector-borne disease cases were reported in the United States (U.S.) in the past 13 years, of which more than three-quarters were tick-borne diseases. Although Lyme disease accounts for the majority of tick-borne disease cases in the U.S., tularemia cases have been increasing over the past decade, with >220 cases reported yearly. However, when comparing Borrelia burgdorferi (causative agent of Lyme disease) and Francisella tularensis (causative agent of tularemia), the low infectious dose (<10 bacteria), high morbidity and mortality rates, and potential transmission of tularemia by multiple tick vectors have raised national concerns about future tularemia outbreaks. Despite these concerns, little is known about how F. tularensis is acquired by, persists in, or is transmitted by ticks. Moreover, the role of one or more tick vectors in transmitting F. tularensis to humans remains a major question. Finally, virtually no studies have examined how F. tularensis adapts to life in the tick (vs. the mammalian host), how tick endosymbionts affect F. tularensis infections, or whether other factors (e.g., tick immunity) impact the ability of F. tularensis to infect ticks. This review will assess our current understanding of each of these issues and will offer a framework for future studies, which could help us better understand tularemia and other tick-borne diseases.
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7
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Pavanelo DB, Schröder NCH, Pin Viso ND, Martins LA, Malossi CD, Galletti MFBM, Labruna MB, Daffre S, Farber M, Fogaça AC. Comparative analysis of the midgut microbiota of two natural tick vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 106:103606. [PMID: 31904432 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Although the ticks Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma aureolatum are important vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii, causative agent of the life-threatening Rocky Mountain spotted fever, A. aureolatum is considerably more susceptible to infection than A. sculptum. As the microbiota can interfere with the colonization of arthropod midgut (MG) by pathogens, in the current study we analyzed the MG microbiota of both tick species. Our results revealed that the MG of A. aureolatum harbors a prominent microbiota, while A. sculptum does not. Remarkably, a significant reduction of the bacterial load was recorded in R. rickettsii-infected A. aureolatum. In addition, the taxonomy analysis of the MG bacterial community of A. aureolatum revealed a dominance of the genus Francisella, suggesting an endosymbiosis. This study is the first step in getting insights into the mechanisms underlying the interactions among Amblyomma species, their microbiota and R. rickettsii. Additional studies to better understand these mechanisms are required and may help the development of novel alternatives to block rickettsial transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Pavanelo
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nicolas C H Schröder
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natalia D Pin Viso
- Institute of Agrobiotechnology and Molecular Biology, IABiMo, INTA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Larissa A Martins
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila D Malossi
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria F B M Galletti
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Husbandry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marisa Farber
- Institute of Agrobiotechnology and Molecular Biology, IABiMo, INTA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andréa C Fogaça
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Martins LA, Kotál J, Bensaoud C, Chmelař J, Kotsyfakis M. Small protease inhibitors in tick saliva and salivary glands and their role in tick-host-pathogen interactions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2020; 1868:140336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.140336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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9
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Martins LA, Malossi CD, Galletti MFBDM, Ribeiro JM, Fujita A, Esteves E, Costa FB, Labruna MB, Daffre S, Fogaça AC. The Transcriptome of the Salivary Glands of Amblyomma aureolatum Reveals the Antimicrobial Peptide Microplusin as an Important Factor for the Tick Protection Against Rickettsia rickettsii Infection. Front Physiol 2019; 10:529. [PMID: 31130872 PMCID: PMC6509419 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The salivary glands (SG) of ixodid ticks play a pivotal role in blood feeding, producing both the cement and the saliva. The cement is an adhesive substance that helps the attachment of the tick to the host skin, while the saliva contains a rich mixture of antihemostatic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory substances that allow ticks to properly acquire the blood meal. The tick saliva is also a vehicle used by several pathogens to be transmitted to the vertebrate host, including various bacterial species from the genus Rickettsia. Rickettsia rickettsii is a tick-borne obligate intracellular bacterium that causes the severe Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In Brazil, the dog yellow tick Amblyomma aureolatum is a vector of R. rickettsii. In the current study, the effects of an experimental infection with R. rickettsii on the global gene expression profile of A. aureolatum SG was determined by next-generation RNA sequencing. A total of 260 coding sequences (CDSs) were modulated by infection, among which 161 were upregulated and 99 were downregulated. Regarding CDSs in the immunity category, we highlight one sequence encoding one microplusin-like antimicrobial peptide (AMP) (Ambaur-69859). AMPs are important effectors of the arthropod immune system, which lack the adaptive response of the immune system of vertebrates. The expression of microplusin was confirmed to be significantly upregulated in the SG as well as in the midgut (MG) of infected A. aureolatum by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction preceded by reverse transcription. The knockdown of the microplusin expression by RNA interference caused a significant increase in the prevalence of infected ticks in relation to the control. In addition, a higher rickettsial load of one order of magnitude was recorded in both the MG and SG of ticks that received microplusin-specific dsRNA. No effect of microplusin knockdown was observed on the R. rickettsii transmission to rabbits. Moreover, no significant differences in tick engorgement and oviposition were recorded in ticks that received dsMicroplusin, demonstrating that microplusin knockdown has no effect on tick fitness. Further studies must be performed to determine the mechanism of action of this AMP against R. rickettsii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa A Martins
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila D Malossi
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria F B de M Galletti
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - André Fujita
- Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Esteves
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andréa C Fogaça
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Kim D, Jaworski DC, Cheng C, Nair AD, Ganta RR, Herndon N, Brown S, Park Y. The transcriptome of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, reveals molecular changes in response to infection with the pathogen, Ehrlichia chaffeensis. JOURNAL OF ASIA-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 21:852-863. [PMID: 34316264 PMCID: PMC8312692 DOI: 10.1016/j.aspen.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is an obligatory ectoparasite of many vertebrates and the primary vector of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. This study aimed to investigate the comparative transcriptomes of A. americanum underlying the processes of pathogen acquisition and of immunity towards the pathogen. Differential expression of the whole body transcripts in six different treatments were compared: females and males that were E. chaffeensis non-exposed, E. chaffeensis-exposed/uninfected, and E. chaffeensis-exposed/infected. The Trinity assembly pipeline produced 140,574 transcripts from trimmed and filtered total raw sequence reads (approximately 117M reads). The gold transcript set of the transcriptome data was established to minimize noise by retaining only transcripts homologous to official peptide sets of Ixodes scapularis and A. americanum ESTs and transcripts covered with high enough frequency from the raw data. Comparison of the gene ontology term enrichment analyses for the six groups tested here revealed an up-regulation of genes for defense responses against the pathogen and for the supply of intracellular Ca++ for pathogen proliferation in the pathogen-exposed ticks. Analyses of differential expression, focused on functional subcategories including immune, sialome, neuropeptides, and G protein-coupled receptor, revealed that E. chaffeensis-exposed ticks exhibited an upregulation of transcripts involved in the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway, antimicrobial peptides, Kunitz, an insulin-like peptide, and bursicon receptor over unexposed ones, while transcripts for metalloprotease were down-regulated in general. This study found that ticks exhibit enhanced expression of genes responsible for defense against E. chaffeensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghun Kim
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Deborah C. Jaworski
- Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Chuanmin Cheng
- Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Arathy D.S. Nair
- Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Roman R. Ganta
- Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Nic Herndon
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Susan Brown
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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11
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Shamsi TN, Parveen R, Afreen S, Azam M, Sen P, Sharma Y, Haque QMR, Fatma T, Manzoor N, Fatima S. Trypsin Inhibitors from Cajanus cajan and Phaseolus limensis Possess Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antibacterial Activity. J Diet Suppl 2018; 15:939-950. [PMID: 29345972 DOI: 10.1080/19390211.2017.1407383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Protease inhibitors are one of the most promising and investigated subjects for their role in pharmacognostic and pharmacological studies. This study aimed to investigate antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities of trypsin inhibitors (TIs) from two plant sources (Cajanus cajan and Phaseolus limensis). TI was purified from C. cajan (PUSA-992) by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by ion exchange chromatography. TI from Phaseolus limensis (lima bean trypsin inhibitor; LBTI) was procured from Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The antioxidant activity was analyzed by ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The anti-inflammatory property of TIs was determined by inhibition of albumin denaturation assay. Ascorbic acid and aspirin were used as standards for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays, respectively. These TIs were tested against various bacterial and fungal strains. The TIs showed DPPH radical-scavenging activity in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values comparable to ascorbic acid. The FRAP values were also observed comparable to ascorbic acid and followed the trend of dose-dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of CCTI and LBTI in anti-inflammatory test showed that LBTI is more potent than CCTI. The TIs showed potent antibacterial activity, but apparently no action against fungi. This study has reported the biological properties of CCTI and LBTI for the first time. The results show that TIs possess the ability to inhibit diseases caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, and bacterial infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tooba Naz Shamsi
- a Department of Biotechnology , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Romana Parveen
- a Department of Biotechnology , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Sumbul Afreen
- b Department of Biosciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Mudasser Azam
- b Department of Biosciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Priyankar Sen
- c Centre for Bioseparation Technology, VIT , Vellore , Tamil Nadu , India
| | - Yamini Sharma
- b Department of Biosciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | | | - Tasneem Fatma
- b Department of Biosciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Nikhat Manzoor
- b Department of Biosciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Sadaf Fatima
- a Department of Biotechnology , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
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12
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Esteves E, Maruyama SR, Kawahara R, Fujita A, Martins LA, Righi AA, Costa FB, Palmisano G, Labruna MB, Sá-Nunes A, Ribeiro JMC, Fogaça AC. Analysis of the Salivary Gland Transcriptome of Unfed and Partially Fed Amblyomma sculptum Ticks and Descriptive Proteome of the Saliva. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:476. [PMID: 29209593 PMCID: PMC5702332 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are obligate blood feeding ectoparasites that transmit a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms to their vertebrate hosts. Amblyomma sculptum is vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), the most lethal rickettsiosis that affects humans. It is known that the transmission of pathogens by ticks is mainly associated with the physiology of the feeding process. Pathogens that are acquired with the blood meal must first colonize the tick gut and later the salivary glands (SG) in order to be transmitted during a subsequent blood feeding via saliva. Tick saliva contains a complex mixture of bioactive molecules with anticlotting, antiplatelet aggregation, vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties to counteract both the hemostasis and defense mechanisms of the host. Besides facilitating tick feeding, the properties of saliva may also benefits survival and establishment of pathogens in the host. In the current study, we compared the sialotranscriptome of unfed A. sculptum ticks and those fed for 72 h on rabbits using next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The total of reads obtained were assembled in 9,560 coding sequences (CDSs) distributed in different functional classes. CDSs encoding secreted proteins, including lipocalins, mucins, protease inhibitors, glycine-rich proteins, metalloproteases, 8.9 kDa superfamily members, and immunity-related proteins were mostly upregulated by blood feeding. Selected CDSs were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction preceded by reverse transcription (RT-qPCR), corroborating the transcriptional profile obtained by RNA-seq. Finally, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed 124 proteins in saliva of ticks fed for 96–120 h. The corresponding CDSs of 59 of these proteins were upregulated in SG of fed ticks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the proteome of A. sculptum saliva. The functional characterization of the identified proteins might reveal potential targets to develop vaccines for tick control and/or blocking of R. rickettsii transmission as well as pharmacological bioproducts with antihemostatic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Esteves
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra R Maruyama
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Rebeca Kawahara
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Fujita
- Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa A Martins
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adne A Righi
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson Sá-Nunes
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José M C Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andréa C Fogaça
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Blisnick AA, Foulon T, Bonnet SI. Serine Protease Inhibitors in Ticks: An Overview of Their Role in Tick Biology and Tick-Borne Pathogen Transmission. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:199. [PMID: 28589099 PMCID: PMC5438962 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
New tick and tick-borne pathogen control approaches that are both environmentally sustainable and which provide broad protection are urgently needed. Their development, however, will rely on a greater understanding of tick biology, tick-pathogen, and tick-host interactions. The recent advances in new generation technologies to study genomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes has resulted in a plethora of tick biomacromolecular studies. Among these, many enzyme inhibitors have been described, notably serine protease inhibitors (SPIs), whose importance in various tick biological processes is only just beginning to be fully appreciated. Among the multiple active substances secreted during tick feeding, SPIs have been shown to be directly involved in regulation of inflammation, blood clotting, wound healing, vasoconstriction and the modulation of host defense mechanisms. In light of these activities, several SPIs were examined and were experimentally confirmed to facilitate tick pathogen transmission. In addition, to prevent coagulation of the ingested blood meal within the tick alimentary canal, SPIs are also involved in blood digestion and nutrient extraction from the meal. The presence of SPIs in tick hemocytes and their involvement in tick innate immune defenses have also been demonstrated, as well as their implication in hemolymph coagulation and egg development. Considering the involvement of SPIs in multiple crucial aspects of tick-host-pathogen interactions, as well as in various aspects of the tick parasitic lifestyle, these molecules represent highly suitable and attractive targets for the development of effective tick control strategies. Here we review the current knowledge regarding this class of inhibitors in tick biology and tick-borne pathogen transmission, and their potential as targets for future tick control trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thierry Foulon
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Biogenèse des Signaux Peptidiques, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06Paris, France
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14
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Martins LA, Galletti MFBDM, Ribeiro JM, Fujita A, Costa FB, Labruna MB, Daffre S, Fogaça AC. The Distinct Transcriptional Response of the Midgut of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma aureolatum Ticks to Rickettsia rickettsii Correlates to Their Differences in Susceptibility to Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:129. [PMID: 28503490 PMCID: PMC5409265 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia rickettsii is a tick-borne obligate intracellular bacterium that causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). In Brazil, two species of ticks in the genus Amblyomma, A. sculptum and A. aureolatum, are incriminated as vectors of this bacterium. Importantly, these two species present remarkable differences in susceptibility to R. rickettsii infection, where A. aureolatum is more susceptible than A. sculptum. In the current study, A. aureolatum and A. sculptum ticks were fed on suitable hosts previously inoculated with R. rickettsii, mimicking a natural infection. As control, ticks were fed on non-infected animals. Both midgut and salivary glands of all positively infected ticks were colonized by R. rickettsii. We did not observe ticks with infection restricted to midgut, suggesting that important factors for controlling rickettsial colonization were produced in this organ. In order to identify such factors, the total RNA extracted from the midgut (MG) was submitted to next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The majority of the coding sequences (CDSs) of A. sculptum differentially expressed by infection were upregulated, whereas most of modulated CDSs of A. aureolatum were downregulated. The functional categories that comprise upregulated CDSs of A. sculptum, for instance, metabolism, signal transduction, protein modification, extracellular matrix, and immunity also include CDSs of A. aureolatum that were downregulated by infection. This is the first study that reports the effects of an experimental infection with the highly virulent R. rickettsii on the gene expression of two natural tick vectors. The distinct transcriptional profiles of MG of A. sculptum and A. aureolatum upon infection stimulus strongly suggest that molecular factors in this organ are responsible for delineating the susceptibility to R. rickettsii. Functional studies to determine the role played by proteins encoded by differentially expressed CDSs in the acquisition of R. rickettsii are warranted and may be considered as targets for the development of strategies to control the tick-borne pathogens as well as to control the tick vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa A Martins
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria F B de Melo Galletti
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - José M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesRockville, MD, USA
| | - André Fujita
- Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andréa C Fogaça
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
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15
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Porter LM, Radulović ŽM, Mulenga A. A repertoire of protease inhibitor families in Amblyomma americanum and other tick species: inter-species comparative analyses. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:152. [PMID: 28330502 PMCID: PMC5361777 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2080-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protease inhibitors (PIs) are important regulators of physiology and represent anti-parasitic druggable and vaccine targets. We conducted bioinformatic analyses of genome and transcriptome data to determine the protease inhibitor (PI) repertoire in Amblyomma americanum and in 25 other ixodid tick species. For A. americanum, we compared the PI repertoires in fed and unfed, male and female A. americanum ticks. We also analyzed PI repertoires of female 48, 96 and 120 h-fed midgut (MG) and salivary gland (SG) tissues. RESULTS We found 1,595 putative non-redundant PI sequences across 26 ixodid tick species. Ticks express PIs from at least 18 different families: I1, I2, I4, I8, I21, I25, I29, I31, I32, I35, I39, I43, I51, I53, I63, I68, I72 and I74 (MEROPS). The largest PI families were I2, I4 and I8 and lowest in I21, I31, I32, I35 and I68. The majority (75%) of tick PIs putatively inhibit serine proteases, with ~11 and 9% putatively regulating cysteine or metalloprotease-mediated pathways, respectively, and ~4% putatively regulating multiple/mixed protease types. In A. americanum, we found 370 PIs in female and 354 in male ticks. In A. americanum we found 231 and 442 in unfed and fed ticks, respectively. In females, we found 206 and 164 PIs in SG and MG, respectively. The majority of highly cross-tick species conserved PIs were in families I1, I2, I8, I21, I25, I29, I39 and I43. CONCLUSIONS Ticks appear to express large and diverse repertoires of PIs that primarily target serine protease-mediated pathways. We speculate that PI families with the highest repertoires may contain functionally redundant members while those with the lowest repertoires are functionally non-redundant PIs. We found some highly conserved PIs in the latter category, which we propose as potential candidates for broad-spectrum anti-tick vaccine candidates or druggable targets in tick control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Porter
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4647 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Željko M Radulović
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4647 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4647 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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16
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Zhang H, Qiao R, Gong H, Cao J, Zhou Y, Zhou J. Identification and anticoagulant activity of a novel Kunitz-type protein HA11 from the salivary gland of the tick Hyalomma asiaticum. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 71:71-85. [PMID: 28091958 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0106-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Kunitz/bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor proteins are abundant in the salivary glands of ticks and perform multiple functions in blood feeding, including inhibiting blood coagulation, regulating host blood supply and disrupting host angiogenesis. In this study, we identified a novel gene designated HA11 (Hyalomma asiaticum 11 kDa protein) from the salivary gland of the tick H. asiaticum. HA11 is encoded by a gene with an open reading frame of 306 bp that is translated into a deduced 101 amino acid 11 kDa protein that shares 27% sequence identity with a Kunitz-like protease inhibitor precursor in Amblyomma variegatum. Bioinformatic analysis confirmed HA11 as a member of the Kunitz-type family of inhibitors. Real time-PCR detected HA11 mRNA transcripts in tick larvae and nymphae stages, with levels highest in salivary gland tissue, and transcription was induced by blood feeding. HA11 anticoagulant activity was demonstrated by its ability to delay normal clotting of rabbit plasma in an activated partial thromboplastin time assay. Furthermore, RNA interference confirmed that HA11 influences H. asiaticum development and blood feeding, and the recombinant protein exerted low hemolytic activity. These results suggest HA11 is a novel Kunitz-type anticoagulant protein involved in tick blood feeding that may have potential as an anticoagulant drug or vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houshuang Zhang
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 518 Ziyue Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ruiqiong Qiao
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 518 Ziyue Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Haiyan Gong
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 518 Ziyue Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 518 Ziyue Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 518 Ziyue Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 518 Ziyue Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
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17
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Smith D, Tikhonova IG, Jewhurst HL, Drysdale OC, Dvořák J, Robinson MW, Cwiklinski K, Dalton JP. Unexpected Activity of a Novel Kunitz-type Inhibitor: INHIBITION OF CYSTEINE PROTEASES BUT NOT SERINE PROTEASES. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:19220-34. [PMID: 27422822 PMCID: PMC5016662 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.724344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Kunitz-type (KT) protease inhibitors are low molecular weight proteins classically defined as serine protease inhibitors. We identified a novel secreted KT inhibitor associated with the gut and parenchymal tissues of the infective juvenile stage of Fasciola hepatica, a helminth parasite of medical and veterinary importance. Unexpectedly, recombinant KT inhibitor (rFhKT1) exhibited no inhibitory activity toward serine proteases but was a potent inhibitor of the major secreted cathepsin L cysteine proteases of F. hepatica, FhCL1 and FhCL2, and of human cathepsins L and K (Ki = 0.4-27 nm). FhKT1 prevented the auto-catalytic activation of FhCL1 and FhCL2 and formed stable complexes with the mature enzymes. Pulldown experiments from adult parasite culture medium showed that rFhKT1 interacts specifically with native secreted FhCL1, FhCL2, and FhCL5. Substitution of the unusual P1 Leu15 within the exposed reactive loop of FhKT1 for the more commonly found Arg (FhKT1Leu15/Arg15) had modest adverse effects on the cysteine protease inhibition but conferred potent activity against the serine protease trypsin (Ki = 1.5 nm). Computational docking and sequence analysis provided hypotheses for the exclusive binding of FhKT1 to cysteine proteases, the importance of the Leu15 in anchoring the inhibitor into the S2 active site pocket, and the inhibitor's selectivity toward FhCL1, FhCL2, and human cathepsins L and K. FhKT1 represents a novel evolutionary adaptation of KT protease inhibitors by F. hepatica, with its prime purpose likely in the regulation of the major parasite-secreted proteases and/or cathepsin L-like proteases of its host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina G Tikhonova
- School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jan Dvořák
- From the School of Biological Sciences and
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18
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Bullard RL, Williams J, Karim S. Temporal Gene Expression Analysis and RNA Silencing of Single and Multiple Members of Gene Family in the Lone Star Tick Amblyomma americanum. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147966. [PMID: 26872360 PMCID: PMC4752215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Saliva is an integral factor in the feeding success of veterinary and medically important ticks. Therefore, the characterization of the proteins present in tick saliva is an important area of tick research. Here, we confirmed previously generated sialotranscriptome data using quantitative real-time PCR. The information obtained in this in-depth study of gene expression was used to measure the effects of metalloprotease gene silencing on tick feeding. We analyzed the temporal expression of seven housekeeping genes and 44 differentially expressed salivary molecules selected from a previously published Amblyomma americanum sialotranscriptome. Separate reference genes were selected for the salivary glands and midgut from among the seven housekeeping genes, to normalize the transcriptional expression of differentially expressed genes. The salivary gland reference gene, ubiquitin, was used to normalize the expression of 44 salivary genes. Unsurprisingly, each gene family was expressed throughout the blood meal, but the expression of specific genes differed at each time point. To further clarify the complex nature of the many proteins found in the saliva, we disrupted the translation of several members of the metalloprotease family. Intriguingly, the nucleotide sequence similarity of the reprolysin metalloprotease gene family is so homologous that a single synthesized dsRNA sequence knocked down multiple members of the family. The use of multigene knockdown yielded a more significant picture of the role of metalloproteases in tick feeding success, and changes were observed in the female engorgement weight and larval hatching success. Interestingly, the depletion of metalloprotease transcripts also reduced the total number of bacteria present in the salivary glands. These data provide insight into the expression and functions of tick salivary proteins expressed while feeding on its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah L. Bullard
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States of America
| | - Jaclyn Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States of America
| | - Shahid Karim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States of America
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19
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Xu T, Lew-Tabor A, Rodriguez-Valle M. Effective inhibition of thrombin by Rhipicephalus microplus serpin-15 (RmS-15) obtained in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 7:180-187. [PMID: 26530984 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The cattle tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) affects cattle industries in tropical and subtropical countries because it is the vector of babesiosis and anaplasmosis which constitutes a threat to the health of cattle. During blooding feeding, ticks secrete saliva containing a complex of bioactive molecules into the injured site to evade host's defensive responses. Serine protease inhibitors (serpins) are important anti-haemostatic molecules present in tick saliva that are necessary for a successful blood feeding. Several serpin sequences have been reported in R. microplus but there is a gap of information about their functions during host-parasite interactions. In this study, the RmS-15 expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris was characterised using kinetic assays and in vitro analysis. The inhibitory enzymatic assays conducted showed that RmS-15 is a physiological inhibitor of thrombin with a stoichiometric inhibition (SI) of 1.5 and high inhibition affinity with ka=9.3±0.5×104M(-1)s(-1). RmS-15 delayed the clotting of plasma in a dose-dependent manner as determined in a recalcification time assay. Significant elevated ELISA titres were observed in tick resistant and susceptible cattle on day 28 after the tick infestation (p<0.001). This data suggests direct contact of RmS-15 with the immune system of the host at the tick-feeding site. The present study contributed to the understanding of the biological functions of R. microplus serpins during host-parasite interactions which contributes to the design of future innovative methods for tick control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xu
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, Qld, Australia
| | - Ala Lew-Tabor
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, Qld, Australia; Murdoch University, Centre for Comparative Genomics, Perth, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Manuel Rodriguez-Valle
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, Qld, Australia.
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20
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Tissue- and time-dependent transcription in Ixodes ricinus salivary glands and midguts when blood feeding on the vertebrate host. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9103. [PMID: 25765539 PMCID: PMC4357865 DOI: 10.1038/srep09103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus is a tick that transmits the pathogens of Lyme and several arboviral diseases. Pathogens invade the tick midgut, disseminate through the hemolymph, and are transmitted to the vertebrate host via the salivary glands; subverting these processes could be used to interrupt pathogen transfer. Here, we use massive de novo sequencing to characterize the transcriptional dynamics of the salivary and midgut tissues of nymphal and adult I. ricinus at various time points after attachment on the vertebrate host. Members of a number of gene families show stage- and time-specific expression. We hypothesize that gene expression switching may be under epigenetic control and, in support of this, identify 34 candidate proteins that modify histones. I. ricinus-secreted proteins are encoded by genes that have a non-synonymous to synonymous mutation rate even greater than immune-related genes. Midgut transcriptome (mialome) analysis reveals several enzymes associated with protein, carbohydrate, and lipid digestion, transporters and channels that might be associated with nutrient uptake, and immune-related transcripts including antimicrobial peptides. This publicly available dataset supports the identification of protein and gene targets for biochemical and physiological studies that exploit the transmission lifecycle of this disease vector for preventative and therapeutic purposes.
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21
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Lu S, Soares TS, Vaz Junior IS, Lovato DV, Tanaka AS. Rmcystatin3, a cysteine protease inhibitor from Rhipicephalus microplus hemocytes involved in immune response. Biochimie 2014; 106:17-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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22
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Pelc RS, McClure JC, Sears KT, Chung A, Rahman MS, Ceraul SM. Defending the fort: a role for defensin-2 in limiting Rickettsia montanensis infection of Dermacentor variabilis. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 23:457-65. [PMID: 24779891 PMCID: PMC4106998 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The importance of tick defensins is evidenced by their expression in a wide variety of tick tissues and prevalence across many tick genera. To date, the functional and biological significance of defensin-2 as a rickettsiastatic or rickettsiacidal antimicrobial peptide has not been addressed. In a previous study, defensin-2 transcription was shown to increase in Dermacentor variabilis ticks challenged with Rickettsia montanensis. In the present study, the hypothesis that defensin-2 is functional as a rickettsiastatic and/or rickettsiacidal antimicrobial peptide is tested. We show that defensin-2 plays a role in reducing burden after acquisition of Rickettsia montanensis through capillary feeding. Moreover, defensin-2 is shown to associate with R. montanensis in vitro and in vivo, causing cytoplasmic leakiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Pelc
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Liu XY, de la Fuente J, Cote M, Galindo RC, Moutailler S, Vayssier-Taussat M, Bonnet SI. IrSPI, a tick serine protease inhibitor involved in tick feeding and Bartonella henselae infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2993. [PMID: 25057911 PMCID: PMC4109860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus is the most widespread and abundant tick in Europe, frequently bites humans, and is the vector of several pathogens including those responsible for Lyme disease, Tick-Borne Encephalitis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and bartonellosis. These tick-borne pathogens are transmitted to vertebrate hosts via tick saliva during blood feeding, and tick salivary gland (SG) factors are likely implicated in transmission. In order to identify such tick factors, we characterized the transcriptome of female I. ricinus SGs using next generation sequencing techniques, and compared transcriptomes between Bartonella henselae-infected and non-infected ticks. High-throughput sequencing of I. ricinus SG transcriptomes led to the generation of 24,539 isotigs. Among them, 829 and 517 transcripts were either significantly up- or down-regulated respectively, in response to bacterial infection. Searches based on sequence identity showed that among the differentially expressed transcripts, 161 transcripts corresponded to nine groups of previously annotated tick SG gene families, while the others corresponded to genes of unknown function. Expression patterns of five selected genes belonging to the BPTI/Kunitz family of serine protease inhibitors, the tick salivary peptide group 1 protein, the salp15 super-family, and the arthropod defensin family, were validated by qRT-PCR. IrSPI, a member of the BPTI/Kunitz family of serine protease inhibitors, showed the highest up-regulation in SGs in response to Bartonella infection. IrSPI silencing impaired tick feeding, as well as resulted in reduced bacterial load in tick SGs. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of I. ricinus SG transcriptome and contributes significant genomic information about this important disease vector. This in-depth knowledge will enable a better understanding of the molecular interactions between ticks and tick-borne pathogens, and identifies IrSPI, a candidate to study now in detail to estimate its potentialities as vaccine against the ticks and the pathogens they transmit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Ye Liu
- USC INRA Bartonella-Tiques, French National Institute of Agricultural Research (UMR BIPAR ENVA-ANSES-UPEC), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jose de la Fuente
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Martine Cote
- USC INRA Bartonella-Tiques, French National Institute of Agricultural Research (UMR BIPAR ENVA-ANSES-UPEC), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Ruth C. Galindo
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Sara Moutailler
- USC INRA Bartonella-Tiques, French National Institute of Agricultural Research (UMR BIPAR ENVA-ANSES-UPEC), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- USC INRA Bartonella-Tiques, French National Institute of Agricultural Research (UMR BIPAR ENVA-ANSES-UPEC), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sarah I. Bonnet
- USC INRA Bartonella-Tiques, French National Institute of Agricultural Research (UMR BIPAR ENVA-ANSES-UPEC), Maisons-Alfort, France
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Petchampai N, Sunyakumthorn P, Guillotte ML, Verhoeve VI, Banajee KH, Kearney MT, Macaluso KR. Novel identification of Dermacentor variabilis Arp2/3 complex and its role in rickettsial infection of the arthropod vector. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93768. [PMID: 24733187 PMCID: PMC3986078 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia species must be able to infect both vertebrate and arthropod host cells. The host actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex is important in the invasion process and actin-based motility for several intracellular bacteria, including SFG Rickettsia in Drosophila and mammalian cells. To investigate the role of the tick Arp2/3 complex in tick-Rickettsia interactions, open reading frames of all subunits of the protein including Arp2, Arp3, ARPC1, ARPC2, ARPC3, ARPC4, and ARPC5 were identified from Dermacentor variabilis. Amino acid sequence analysis showed variation (ranging from 25–88%) in percent identity compared to the corresponding subunits of the complex from Drosophila melanogaster, Mus musculus, Homo sapiens, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Potential ATP binding sites were identified in D. variabilis (Dv) Arp2 and Arp3 subunits as well as five putative WD (Trp-Asp) motifs which were observed in DvARPC1. Transcriptional profiles of all subunits of the DvArp2/3 complex revealed greater mRNA expression in both Rickettsia-infected and -uninfected ovary compared to midgut and salivary glands. In response to R. montanensis infection of the tick ovary, the mRNA level of only DvARPC4 was significantly upregulated compared to uninfected tissues. Arp2/3 complex inhibition bioassays resulted in a decrease in the ability of R. montanensis to invade tick tissues with a significant difference in the tick ovary, indicating a role for the Arp2/3 complex in rickettsial invasion of tick cells. Characterization of tick-derived molecules associated with rickettsial infection is imperative in order to better comprehend the ecology of tick-borne rickettsial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natthida Petchampai
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Piyanate Sunyakumthorn
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Mark L. Guillotte
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Victoria I. Verhoeve
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Kaikhushroo H. Banajee
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Michael T. Kearney
- 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
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Abstract
Ticks are the most common arthropod vector, after mosquitoes, and are capable of transmitting the greatest variety of pathogens. For both humans and animals, the worldwide emergence or re-emergence of tick-borne disease is becoming increasingly problematic. Despite being such an important issue, our knowledge of pathogen transmission by ticks is incomplete. Several recent studies, reviewed here, have reported that the expression of some tick factors can be modulated in response to pathogen infection, and that some of these factors can impact on the pathogenic life cycle. Delineating the specific tick factors required for tick-borne pathogen transmission should lead to new strategies in the disruption of pathogen life cycles to combat emerging tick-borne disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Ye Liu
- USC INRA Bartonella-tiques, UMR BIPAR ENVA-ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sarah I. Bonnet
- USC INRA Bartonella-tiques, UMR BIPAR ENVA-ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
- * E-mail:
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Barrett A, Little SE, Shaw E. “Rickettsia amblyommii” andR. montanensisInfection in Dogs Following Natural Exposure to Ticks. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2014; 14:20-5. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2013.1325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Barrett
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
| | - Susan E. Little
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
| | - Edward Shaw
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Arts and Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
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SUNYAKUMTHORN PIYANATE, PETCHAMPAI NATTHIDA, GRASPERGE BRITTONJ, KEARNEY MICHAELT, SONENSHINE DANIELE, MACALUSO KEVINR. Gene expression of tissue-specific molecules in ex vivo Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) during rickettsial exposure. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 50:1089-96. [PMID: 24180114 PMCID: PMC3931258 DOI: 10.1603/me12162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Ticks serve as both vectors and the reservoir hosts capable of transmitting spotted fever group Rickettsia by horizontal and vertical transmission. Persistent maintenance of Rickettsia species in tick populations is dependent on the specificity of the tick and Rickettsia relationship that limits vertical transmission of particular Rickettsia species, suggesting host-derived mechanisms of control. Tick-derived molecules are differentially expressed in a tissue-specific manner in response to rickettsial infection; however, little is known about tick response to specific rickettsial species. To test the hypothesis that tissue-specific tick-derived molecules are uniquely responsive to rickettsial infection, a bioassay to characterize the tick tissue-specific response to different rickettsial species was used. Whole organs of Dermacentor variabilis (Say) were exposed to either Rickettsia montanensis or Rickettsia amblyommii, two Rickettsia species common, or absent, in field-collected D. variabilis, respectively, for 1 and 12 h and harvested for quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction assays of putative immune-like tick-derived factors. The results indicated that tick genes are differently expressed in a temporal and tissue-specific manner. Genes encoding glutathione S-transferase 1 (dvgst1) and Kunitz protease inhibitor (dvkpi) were highly expressed in midgut, and rickettsial exposure downregulated the expression of both genes. Two other genes encoding glutathione S-transferase 2 (dvgst2) and beta-thymosin (dvpbeta-thy) were highly expressed in ovary, with dvbeta-thy expression significantly downregulated in ovaries exposed to R. montanensis, but not R. amblyommii, at 12-h postexposure, suggesting a selective response. Deciphering the tissue-specific molecular interactions between tick and Rickettsia will enhance our understanding of the key mechanisms that mediate rickettsial infection in ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- PIYANATE SUNYAKUMTHORN
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., SVM-3213, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, 42016 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - NATTHIDA PETCHAMPAI
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., SVM-3213, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
| | - BRITTON J. GRASPERGE
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, 18703 Three River Road, Covington, LA 70433
| | - MICHAEL T. KEARNEY
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., SVM-3213, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
| | - DANIEL E. SONENSHINE
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, 5115 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23529
| | - KEVIN R. MACALUSO
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., SVM-3213, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
- Corresponding author,
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Narasimhan S, Perez O, Mootien S, DePonte K, Koski RA, Fikrig E, Ledizet M. Characterization of Ixophilin, a thrombin inhibitor from the gut of Ixodes scapularis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68012. [PMID: 23874485 PMCID: PMC3706618 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged tick, vectors several human pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease in North America. Pathogen transmission to the vertebrate host occurs when infected ticks feed on the mammalian host to obtain a blood meal. Efforts to understand how the tick confronts host hemostatic mechanisms and imbibes a fluid blood meal have largely focused on the anticoagulation strategies of tick saliva. The blood meal that enters the tick gut remains in a fluid state for several days during the process of feeding, and the role of the tick gut in maintaining the blood-meal fluid is not understood. We now demonstrate that the tick gut produces a potent inhibitor of thrombin, a key enzyme in the mammalian coagulation cascade. Chromatographic fractionation of engorged tick gut proteins identified one predominant thrombin inhibitory activity associated with an approximately 18 kDa protein, henceforth referred to as Ixophilin. The ixophilin gene was preferentially transcribed in the guts of feeding nymphs. Expression began after 24 hours of feeding, coincident with the flow of host blood into the tick gut. Immunity against Ixophilin delayed tick feeding, and decreased feeding efficiency significantly. Surprisingly, immunity against Ixophilin resulted in increased Borrelia burgdorferi transmission to the host, possibly due to delayed feeding and increased transmission opportunity. These observations illuminate the potential drawbacks of targeting individual tick proteins in a functional suite. They also underscore the need to identify the “anticoagulome” of the tick gut, and to prioritize a critical subset of anticoagulants that could be targeted to efficiently thwart tick feeding, and block pathogen transmission to the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Oriana Perez
- L2 Diagnostics, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Sara Mootien
- L2 Diagnostics, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Kathleen DePonte
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Raymond A. Koski
- L2 Diagnostics, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michel Ledizet
- L2 Diagnostics, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Stromdahl EY, Hickling GJ. Beyond Lyme: Aetiology of Tick-borne Human Diseases with Emphasis on the South-Eastern United States. Zoonoses Public Health 2012; 59 Suppl 2:48-64. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01475.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Stromdahl EY, Jiang J, Vince M, Richards AL. Infrequency of Rickettsia rickettsii in Dermacentor variabilis removed from humans, with comments on the role of other human-biting ticks associated with spotted fever group Rickettsiae in the United States. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 11:969-77. [PMID: 21142953 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2010.0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
From 1997 to 2009, the Tick-Borne Disease Laboratory of the U.S. Army Public Health Command (USAPHC) (formerly the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine) screened 5286 Dermacentor variabilis ticks removed from Department of Defense (DOD) personnel, their dependents, and DOD civilian personnel for spotted fever group rickettsiae using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Rickettsia montanensis (171/5286 = 3.2%) and Rickettsia amblyommii (7/5286 = 0.1%) were detected in a small number of samples, but no ticks were found positive for Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) until May 2009, when it was detected in one D. variabilis male removed from a child in Maryland. This result was confirmed by nucleotide sequence analysis of the rickettsial isolate and of the positive control used in the polymerase chain reaction, which was different from the isolate. Lethal effects of rickettsiostatic proteins of D. variabilis on R. rickettsii and lethal effects of R. rickettsii infection on tick hosts may account for this extremely low prevalence. Recent reports of R. rickettsii in species Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Amblyomma americanum ticks suggest their involvement in transmission of RMSF, and other pathogenic rickettsiae have been detected in Amblyomma maculatum. The areas of the U.S. endemic for RMSF are also those where D. variabilis exist in sympatry with populations of A. americanum and A. maculatum. Interactions among the sympatric species of ticks may be involved in the development of a focus of RMSF transmission. On the other hand, the overlap of foci of RMSF cases and areas of A. americanum and A. maculatum populations might indicate the misdiagnosis as RMSF of diseases actually caused by other rickettsiae vectored by these ticks. Further studies on tick vectors are needed to elucidate the etiology of RMSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Y Stromdahl
- Entomological Sciences Program, US Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010–5403, USA.
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31
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Protease inhibitors and proteolytic signalling cascades in insects. Biochimie 2010; 92:1749-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2010.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2010] [Accepted: 09/03/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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A Kunitz protease inhibitor from Dermacentor variabilis, a vector for spotted fever group rickettsiae, limits Rickettsia montanensis invasion. Infect Immun 2010; 79:321-9. [PMID: 20956566 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00362-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A defining facet of tick-Rickettsia symbioses is the molecular strategy employed by each partner to ensure its own survival. Ticks must control rickettsial colonization to avoid immediate death. In the current study, we show that rickettsial abundance in the tick midgut increases once the expression of a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor from the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) (DvKPI) is suppressed by small interfering RNA (siRNA). A series of in vitro invasion assays suggested that DvKPI limits rickettsial colonization during host cell entry. Interestingly, we observed that DvKPI associates with rickettsiae in vitro as well as in the tick midgut. Collectively, our data demonstrate that DvKPI limits host cell invasion by Rickettsia montanensis, possibly through an association with the bacterium.
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A Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor from the midgut of the ixodid tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, and its endogenous target serine proteinase. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2010; 170:112-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2009.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2009] [Revised: 12/11/2009] [Accepted: 12/14/2009] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Dreher-Lesnick SM, Ceraul SM, Lesnick SC, Gillespie JJ, Anderson JM, Jochim RC, Valenzuela JG, Azad AF. Analysis of Rickettsia typhi-infected and uninfected cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) midgut cDNA libraries: deciphering molecular pathways involved in host response to R. typhi infection. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2010; 19:229-241. [PMID: 20017753 PMCID: PMC3179627 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2009.00978.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Murine typhus is a flea-borne febrile illness that is caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Rickettsia typhi. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, acquires R. typhi by imbibing a bloodmeal from a rickettsemic vertebrate host. To explore which transcripts are expressed in the midgut in response to challenge with R. typhi, cDNA libraries of R. typhi-infected and uninfected midguts of C. felis were constructed. In this study, we examined midgut transcript levels for select C. felis serine proteases, GTPases and defence response genes, all thought to be involved in the fleas response to feeding or infection. An increase in gene expression was observed for the serine protease inhibitors and vesicular trafficking proteins in response to feeding. In addition, R. typhi infection resulted in an increase in gene expression for the chymotrypsin and rab5 that we studied. Interestingly, R. typhi infection had little effect on expression of any of the defence response genes that we studied. We are unsure as to the physiological significance of these gene expression profiles and are currently investigating their potential roles as it pertains to R. typhi infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of differential expression of flea transcripts in response to infection with R. typhi.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Dreher-Lesnick
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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35
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Kopáček P, Hajdušek O, Burešová V, Daffre S. Tick Innate Immunity. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-8059-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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36
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Bastos RG, Ueti MW, Guerrero FD, Knowles DP, Scoles GA. Silencing of a putative immunophilin gene in the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus increases the infection rate of Babesia bovis in larval progeny. Parasit Vectors 2009; 2:57. [PMID: 19930572 PMCID: PMC2785768 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-2-57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2009] [Accepted: 11/20/2009] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is involved in the transmission of the protozoan Babesia bovis, the etiological agent of bovine babesiosis. Interactions between ticks and protozoa are poorly understood and the investigation of tick genes that affect tick fitness and protozoan infection can set the stage for dissecting the molecular interactions between the two species. RESULTS In this study, RNA interference was used to silence R. microplus genes that had been previously shown to be up-regulated in response to B. bovis infection. The silencing of a putative immunophilin gene (Imnp) in female ticks fed on a calf acutely infected with B. bovis decreased the hatching rate and survival of larval progeny. Interestingly, Imnp was up-regulated significantly in ovaries of R. microplus in response to B. bovis infection and its silencing in female ticks significantly increased the infection rate of the protozoan in larval progeny. The results also showed that the silencing of a putative Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor (Spi) gene and a putative lipocalin (Lpc) gene decreased the fitness of R. microplus females, but had no significant effect on the infection rate of B. bovis in larval progeny. CONCLUSION The silencing of the Imnp, Spi or Lpc genes decreased the fitness of R. microplus females fed on a calf during acute B. bovis infection. The Imnp gene data suggest that this putative immunophilin gene is involved in the defense system of R. microplus against B. bovis and may play a role in controlling the protozoan infection in tick ovaries and larval progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginaldo G Bastos
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA.
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37
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Corral-Rodríguez MA, Macedo-Ribeiro S, Barbosa Pereira PJ, Fuentes-Prior P. Tick-derived Kunitz-type inhibitors as antihemostatic factors. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2009; 39:579-595. [PMID: 19631744 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2009.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2009] [Revised: 07/14/2009] [Accepted: 07/16/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous Kunitz-type inhibitors target a large number of serine proteinases, including coagulation factors VIIa and Xa, but not thrombin. By contrast, several two-domain Kunitz inhibitors of this major procoagulant proteinase have been isolated from both soft ticks (e.g., ornithodorin from Ornithodoros moubata) and hard ticks (e.g., boophilin from Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus). Surprisingly, these anticoagulants do not follow the canonical mechanism of proteinase inhibition. Instead, their N-terminal residues bind across the thrombin active-site cleft, while C-terminal modules interact with the basic exosite I. The reactive-site loop of boophilin remains fully accessible in its complex with thrombin, and might interact with FXa according to the standard mechanism. A conceptually similar inhibition mechanism is employed by a related inhibitor of the TF-FVIIa complex isolated from Ixodes scapularis, ixolaris. Significant variations to the Kunitz fold are encountered in several of these factors, and are particularly evident in the single-domain FXa inhibitor, O. moubata TAP, and in soft tick-derived platelet antiaggregants (e.g., O. moubata disagregin). Altogether, these antihemostatic factors illustrate the divergence between hard and soft ticks. The unsurpassed versatility of tick-derived Kunitz inhibitors establishes them as valuable tools for biochemical investigations, but also as lead compounds for the development of novel antithrombotics.
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Esteves E, Fogaça AC, Maldonado R, Silva FD, Manso PPA, Pelajo-Machado M, Valle D, Daffre S. Antimicrobial activity in the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus eggs: Cellular localization and temporal expression of microplusin during oogenesis and embryogenesis. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 33:913-919. [PMID: 19454333 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2009.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2008] [Revised: 02/18/2009] [Accepted: 02/26/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Arthropods display different mechanisms to protect themselves against infections, among which antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role, acting directly against invader pathogens. We have detected several factors with inhibitory activity against Candida albicans and Micrococcus luteus on the surface and in homogenate of eggs of the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. One of the anti-M. luteus factors of the egg homogenate was isolated to homogeneity. Analysis by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) revealed that it corresponds to microplusin, an AMP previously isolated from the cell-free hemolymph of R. (B.) microplus. Reverse transcription (RT) quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) showed that the levels of microplusin mRNA gradually increase along ovary development, reaching an impressive highest value three days after the adult females have dropped from the calf and start oviposition. Interestingly, the level of microplusin mRNA is very low in recently laid eggs. An enhance of microplusin gene expression in eggs is observed only nine days after the onset of oviposition, achieving the highest level just before the larva hatching, when the level of expression decreases once again. Fluorescence microscopy analysis using an anti-microplusin serum revealed that microplusin is present among yolk granules of oocytes as well as in the connecting tube of ovaries. These results, together to our previous data, suggest that microplusin may be involved not only in protection of adult female hemocele, but also in protection of the female reproductive tract and embryos, what points this AMP as a considerable target for development of new methods to control R. (B.) microplus as well as the vector-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Esteves
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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Saito Y, Konnai S, Yamada S, Imamura S, Nishikado H, Ito T, Onuma M, Ohashi K. Identification and characterization of antimicrobial peptide, defensin, in the taiga tick, Ixodes persulcatus. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2009; 18:531-539. [PMID: 19604312 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2009.00897.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Ixodes persulcatus is the primary vector for human tick-borne diseases in Japan. A cDNA library was constructed from whole body homogenates of fed nymphs of I. persulcatus. From this library, one cDNA encoding defensin-like antimicrobial peptide was identified. The amino-acid sequence showed high similarity to those of the defensins of other ticks and arthropods. I. persulcatus defensin mRNA transcripts were detected at all life cycle stages of fed ticks and found to be predominantly expressed in the midguts of adult female ticks, but not in the salivary glands, a finding corroborated by Western blotting analysis. To investigate the function of I. persulcatus defensin, we examined its antibacterial activity by evaluation of growth of several bacterial strains in the presence of the synthetic peptide. The defensin from I. persulcatus markedly inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Corynebacterium renale, but not Gram-negative bacteria except Escherichia coli O157. In conclusion, these results suggest that I. persulcatus defensin may be playing a significant role in the defence against microbes from bloodmeals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Saito
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
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Independence of Anaplasma marginale strains with high and low transmission efficiencies in the tick vector following simultaneous acquisition by feeding on a superinfected mammalian reservoir host. Infect Immun 2009; 77:1459-64. [PMID: 19188360 PMCID: PMC2663170 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01518-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Strain superinfection occurs when a second pathogen strain infects a host already carrying a primary strain. Anaplasma marginale superinfection occurs when the second strain carries a variant repertoire different from that of the primary strain, and the epidemiologic consequences depend on the relative efficiencies of tick-borne transmission of the two strains. Following strain superinfection in the reservoir host, we tested whether the presence of two A. marginale (sensu lato) strains that differed in transmission efficiency altered the transmission phenotypes in comparison to those for single-strain infections. Dermacentor andersoni ticks were fed on animals superinfected with the Anaplasma marginale subsp. centrale vaccine strain (low transmission efficiency) and the A. marginale St. Maries strain (high transmission efficiency). Within ticks that acquired both strains, the St. Maries strain had a competitive advantage and replicated to significantly higher levels than the vaccine strain. The St. Maries strain was subsequently transmitted to naïve hosts by ticks previously fed either on superinfected animals or on animals singly infected with the St. Maries strain, consistent with the predicted transmission phenotype of this strain and the lack of interference due to the presence of a competing low-efficiency strain. The vaccine strain was not transmitted by either singly infected or coinfected ticks, consistent with the predicted transmission phenotype and the lack of enhancement due to the presence of a high-efficiency strain. These results support the idea that the strain predominance in regions of endemicity is mediated by the intrinsic transmission efficiency of specific strains regardless of occurrence of superinfection.
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