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Feng T, Tong H, Zhang Q, Ming Z, Song Z, Zhou X, Dai J. Targeting Haemaphysalis longicornis serpin to prevent tick feeding and pathogen transmission. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:694-706. [PMID: 37635449 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins), identified from the hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis of China, play significant roles in various animal physiological processes. In this study, we showed that H. longicornis serpins (Hlserpin-a and Hlserpin-b) were induced during blood-feeding in nymph ticks and exhibited anticoagulation activity in vitro. Silencing Hlserpins through RNA interference (RNAi) significantly impaired tick feeding. Immunization of mice with recombinant Hlserpins or passive transfer of Hlserpin antiserum significantly curtails the efficacy of tick feeding. Concurrently, the transmission of the Langat virus (LGTV) from ticks to mice witnessed a substantial decrease when Hlserpins were silenced. Our findings suggest that inhibiting Hlserpins can hamper tick engorgement and pathogen transmission, indicating the potential of Hlserpins as a vaccine to counter tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Feng
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hao Tong
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhihao Ming
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhenyu Song
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xia Zhou
- School of Biology and Basic Medical Science, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jianfeng Dai
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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Hill B, Schafer B, Vargas N, Zamora D, Shrotri R, Perez S, Farmer G, Avon A, Pai A, Mori H, Zhong J. Functional analysis of Rickettsia monacensis strain humboldt folA dihydrofolate reductase gene via complementation assay. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102217. [PMID: 37379700 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Nutritive symbiosis between bacteria and ticks is observed across a range of ecological contexts; however, little characterization on the molecular components responsible for this symbiosis has been done. Previous studies in our lab demonstrated that Rickettsia monacensis str. Humboldt (strain Humboldt) can synthesize folate de novo via the folate biosynthesis pathway involving folA, folC, folE, folKP, and ptpS genes. In this study, expression of the strain Humboldt folA gene within a folA mutant Escherichia coli construct was used to functionally characterize the strain Humboldt folA folate gene in vivo. The strain Humboldt folA folate gene was subcloned into a TransBac vector and transformed into a folA mutant E. coli construct. The mutant containing strain Humboldt folA subclone and a pFE604 clone of the knocked-out folA gene was cured of pFE604. Curing of the folA mutant E. coli construct was successful using acridine orange and 43.5 °C incubation temperature. The plasmid curing assay showed curing efficiency of the folA mutant at 100%. Functional complementation was assessed by growth phenotype on minimal media with and without IPTG between strain Humboldt folA and E. coli folA. Large and homogenous wild-type colony growth was observed for both strain Humboldt and E. coli folA on minimal media with 0.1 mM IPTG, wild-type growth for strain Humboldt folA and pin-point growth for E. coli folA on 0.01 mM IPTG, and pin-point growth without IPTG for both strain Humboldt and E. coli folA. This study provides evidence substantiating the in vivo functionality of strain Humboldt folA in producing functional gene products for folate biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Ben Schafer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Nolan Vargas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Danny Zamora
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Rohan Shrotri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Sarahi Perez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey Farmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Aren Avon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Anirudh Pai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America
| | - Hirotada Mori
- Laboratory of Systems Microbiology, Data Science Center, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0101, Japan
| | - Jianmin Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, United States of America.
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Tsujimoto H, Metz HC, Smith AA, Sakamoto JM, Pal U, Rasgon JL. Function and evolution of the aquaporin IsAQP1 in the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36680546 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and protozoans to humans, wildlife, and domestic animals. Due to their life cycles, ticks face significant challenges related to water homeostasis. When blood-feeding, they must excrete water and ions, but when off-host (for stretches lasting several months), they must conserve water to avoid desiccation. Aquaporins (AQPs), a family of membrane-bound water channels, are key players in osmoregulation in many animals but remain poorly characterized in ticks. Here, we bioinformatically identified AQP-like genes from the deer tick Ixodes scapularis and used phylogenetic approaches to map the evolution of the aquaporin gene family in arthropods. Most arachnid AQP-like sequences (including those of I. scapularis) formed a monophyletic group clustered within aquaglycerolporins (GLPs) from bacteria to vertebrates. This gene family is absent from insects, revealing divergent evolutionary paths for AQPs in different hematophagous arthropods. Next, we sequenced the full-length cDNA of I. scapularis aquaporin 1 (IsAQP1) and expressed it heterologously in Xenopus oocytes to functionally characterize its permeability to water and solutes. Additionally, we examined IsAQP1 expression across different life stages and adult female organs. We found IsAQP1 is an efficient water channel with high expression in salivary glands prior to feeding, suggesting it plays a role in osmoregulation before or during blood feeding. Its functional properties are unique: unlike most GLPs, IsAQP1 has low glycerol permeability, and unlike most AQPs, it is insensitive to mercury. Together, our results suggest IsAQP1 plays an important role in tick water balance physiology and that it may hold promise as a target of novel vector control efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Tsujimoto
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Hillery C Metz
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Joyce M Sakamoto
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Pérez-Sánchez R, Cano-Argüelles AL, González-Sánchez M, Oleaga A. First Data on Ornithodoros moubata Aquaporins: Structural, Phylogenetic and Immunogenic Characterisation as Vaccine Targets. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11060694. [PMID: 35745548 PMCID: PMC9227307 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11060694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ornithodoros moubata transmits African swine fever and human relapsing fever in Africa. The elimination of O. moubata populations from anthropic environments is expected to improve the prevention and control of these diseases. Tick vaccines have emerged as a sustainable method for tick control, and tick aquaporins (AQPs) are promising targets for tick vaccines due to their vital functions, immunogenicity and ease of access by neutralising host antibodies. This study aimed at the systematic identification of the AQPs expressed by O. moubata (OmAQPs) and their characterisation as vaccine targets. Therefore, AQP coding sequences were recovered from available transcriptomic datasets, followed by PCR amplification, cloning, sequence verification and the analysis of the AQP protein structure and epitope exposure. Seven OmAQPs were identified and characterised: six were aquaglyceroporins, and one was a water-specific aquaporin. All of these were expressed in the salivary glands and midgut and only three in the coxal glands. Epitope exposure analysis identified three extracellular domains in each AQP, which concentrate overlapping B and T cell epitopes, making them interesting vaccine targets. Based on these domain sequences, a set of ten antigenic peptides was designed, which showed adequate properties to be produced and tested in pilot vaccine trials.
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Niu Q, Hao R, Pan Y, Liu Z, Yang J, Guan G, Luo J, Yin H. Molecular Characterization and Gene Expression Analysis of Aquaporin in Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis. Front Physiol 2022; 13:811628. [PMID: 35250616 PMCID: PMC8891643 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.811628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are important functional proteins and are widely present in the cell membrane of almost all organisms, mediating transmembrane transport of liquid and other solutes. Much is known about the molecular characterization of AQPs in other tick species; however, nothing is known about them in Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis. In this study, we first sequenced the transcript variants of AQPs in H. qinghaiensis (HqAQPs), analyzed the biological structure features of AQPs, and investigated the pattern of gene expression of the AQP gene of H. qinghaiensis in different tick tissues and stages to predict their biological functions. In conclusion, four AQP transcript variants (i.e., HqAQP1-1, HqAQP1-2, HqAQP1-3, and HqAQP1-4) of H. qinghaiensis were found, and the sequences were comparable with its orthologs from the reported tick species. Gene expression of AQPs in different tick tissues and stages showed the higher expression level in salivary glands and gut of adult female, as well as in the female and nymph than in Malpighian tubules, ovary, male, larvae, and egg. Further studies will be performed to evaluate the function of HqAQPs against H. qinghaiensis infestation on animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingli Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qingli Niu,
| | - Rongzeng Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuping Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhijie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jifei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
- Hong Yin,
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Scoles GA, Hussein HE, Olds CL, Mason KL, Davis SK. Vaccination of cattle with synthetic peptides corresponding to predicted extracellular domains of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus aquaporin 2 reduced the number of ticks feeding to repletion. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:49. [PMID: 35135602 PMCID: PMC8822678 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There have been ongoing efforts to identify anti-tick vaccine targets to protect cattle from infestation with cattle fever ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Two commercial vaccines based on the tick gut protein Bm86 have had variable effectiveness, which has led to poor acceptance, and numerous studies have attempted to identify vaccine antigens that will provide more consistently effective protection. Transcriptomic analysis of R. microplus led to identification of three aquaporin genes annotated to code for transmembrane proteins involved in the transport of water across cell membranes. Previous work showed that vaccination with full-length recombinant aquaporin 1 (RmAQP1) reduced tick burdens on cattle. Targeted silencing of aquaporin 2 (RmAQP2) expression suggested it might also be a good anti-tick vaccination target. Methods Three synthetic peptides from the predicted extracellular domains of RmAQP2 were used to vaccinate cattle. Peptides were conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) as an antigenic carrier molecule. We monitored the antibody response with ELISA and challenged vaccinated cattle with R. microplus larvae. Results There was a 25% reduction overall in the numbers of ticks feeding to repletion on the vaccinated cattle. Immune sera from vaccinated cattle recognized native tick proteins on a western blot and reacted to the three individual synthetic peptides in an ELISA. The vaccinated calf with the highest total IgG titer was not the most effective at controlling ticks; ratios of IgG isotypes 1 and 2 differed greatly among the three vaccinated cattle; the calf with the highest IgG1/IgG2 ratio had the fewest ticks. Ticks on vaccinated cattle had significantly greater replete weights compared to ticks on controls, mirroring results seen with RNA silencing of RmAQP2. However, protein data could not confirm that vaccination had any impact on the ability of the tick to concentrate its blood meal by removing water. Conclusions A reduced number of ticks feed successfully on cattle vaccinated to produce antibodies against the extracellular domains of RmAQP2. However, our predicted mechanism, that antibody binding blocks the ability of RmAQP2 to move water out of the blood meal, could not be confirmed. Further study will be required to define the mechanism of action and to determine whether these vaccine targets will be useful components of an anti-tick vaccine cocktail. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05166-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen A Scoles
- USDA-ARS, Animal Disease Research Unit, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. .,Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. .,USDA-ARS, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Lab, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA.
| | - Hala E Hussein
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.,Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Cassandra L Olds
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.,Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Kathleen L Mason
- USDA-ARS, Animal Disease Research Unit, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Sara K Davis
- USDA-ARS, Animal Disease Research Unit, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Silencing of Aquaporin Homologue Accumulates Uric Acid and Decreases the Lifespan of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12100931. [PMID: 34680700 PMCID: PMC8539622 DOI: 10.3390/insects12100931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The use of RNA interference has become increasingly popular for investigating insect physiology, testing the functionality of insect genes and as a potential control strategy. Hemiptera include many vectors for destructive plant diseases. A major characteristic of the order of Hemiptera is feeding on the phloem sap of their plant hosts. Phloem feeders face high osmotic stress between the gut lumen and hemolymph due to the high level of sucrose in phloem sap. Targeting the osmoregulation mechanisms in Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, which transmits ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the putative causal agent of Huanglongbing in citrus may lead to an effective control strategy. Herein we downregulate the expression of aquaporin, representing a major mechanism of osmoregulation, by RNA interference. Abstract The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is devastating the citrus industry worldwide. It transmits ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the pathogen of Huanglongbing in citrus. RNA interference is an excellent tool for functional genomics and for screening target genes for pest control. Herein, we silenced the aquaporin (AQP) gene (DcAQP) homologue in D. citri to study its functionality and whether it could be a good target for a control strategy. AQP is an integral membrane channel protein that aids in the rapid flux of water and other small solutes that move across the lipid membrane. In Hemiptera, it is well established that AQP plays important roles in adjusting to physiological challenges including (1) regulating osmotic stress between the gut lumen and hemolymph after imbibing large quantities of a low nitrogen, sugar-rich liquid diet; (2) avoiding or preventing dehydration and desiccation; and (3) surviving at elevated temperatures. The dsRNA-DcAQP was applied twice to nymphs of the 4th and 5th instars through a soaking technique. Silencing AQP caused a significant increase in nymph mortality. Emerged adults showed malformations and a shorter lifespan. Silencing DcAQP provoked alterations in some metabolites and increased the uric acid content in emerged adults. DcAQP could be a useful target to control D. citri.
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van Oosterwijk JG, Wikel SK. Resistance to Ticks and the Path to Anti-Tick and Transmission Blocking Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:725. [PMID: 34358142 PMCID: PMC8310300 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The medical and veterinary public health importance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens is increasing due to the expansion of the geographic ranges of both ticks and pathogens, increasing tick populations, growing incidence of tick-borne diseases, emerging tick transmitted pathogens, and continued challenges of achieving effective and sustained tick control. The past decades show an increasing interest in the immune-mediated control of tick infestations and pathogen transmission through the use of vaccines. Bovine tick resistance induced by repeated infestations was reported over a century ago. This review addresses the phenomena and immunological underpinning of resistance to tick infestation by livestock and laboratory animals; the scope of tick countermeasures to host immune defenses; and the impact of genomics, functional genomics, and proteomics on dissecting complex tick-host-pathogen interactions. From early studies utilizing tick tissue extracts to salivary gland derived molecules and components of physiologically important pathways in tick gut and other tissues, an increased understanding of these relationships, over time, impacted the evolution of anti-tick vaccine antigen selection. Novel antigens continue to emerge, including increased interest in the tick microbiome. Anti-tick and transmission blocking vaccines targeting pathogen reservoirs have the potential to disrupt enzootic cycles and reduce human, companion, domestic animal, and wildlife exposure to infected ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen K. Wikel
- US Biologic Inc., 20 Dudley Street, Memphis, TN 38103, USA;
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT 06518, USA
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van Oosterwijk JG. Anti-tick and pathogen transmission blocking vaccines. Parasite Immunol 2021; 43:e12831. [PMID: 33704804 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a challenge for medical and veterinary public health and often controlled through the use of repellents and acaricides. Research on vaccination strategies to protect humans, companion animals, and livestock from ticks and tick-transmitted pathogens has accelerated through the use of proteomic and transcriptomic analyses. Comparative analyses of unfed versus engorged and uninfected versus infected ticks have provided valuable insights into candidates for anti-tick and pathogen transmission blocking vaccines. An intricate interplay between tick saliva and the host's immune system has revealed potential antigens to be used in vaccination strategies. Immunization of hosts with targeted anti-tick vaccines would ideally lead to a reduction in tick numbers and prevent transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Comprehensive control of tick-borne diseases would come from successful anti-tick vaccination, vaccination preventing transmission of tick-borne diseases or a combination. Due to the close interaction with wildlife and ticks, with wildlife reservoirs enabling propagation of pathogens between ticks, the vaccination of these reservoirs is an attractive target to reduce human contact with ticks and tick-borne diseases through a one-health approach. Wildlife vaccination presents formulation and regulatory challenges which should be considered early in the development of reservoir-targeted vaccines.
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Ghosh S, Parthasarathi BC, Kumar B. Current status and future prospects of multi-antigen tick vaccine. J Vector Borne Dis 2021; 58:183-192. [DOI: 10.4103/0972-9062.321739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Ndekezi C, Nkamwesiga J, Ochwo S, Kimuda MP, Mwiine FN, Tweyongyere R, Amanyire W, Muhanguzi D. Identification of Ixodid Tick-Specific Aquaporin-1 Potential Anti-tick Vaccine Epitopes: An in-silico Analysis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:236. [PMID: 31612130 PMCID: PMC6775757 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are arthropod vectors of pathogens of both Veterinary and Public health importance. Acaricide application, which is currently the mainstay of tick control, is hampered by high cost, the need for regular application and a selection of multi-acaricide resistant tick populations. In light of this, future tick control approaches are poised to rely on the integration of rational acaricide application and other methods, such as vaccination. To contribute to systematic research-guided efforts to produce anti-tick vaccines, we carried out an in-silico analysis of tick aquaporin-1 (AQP1) protein in order to identify tick-specific AQP1 peptide motifs that can be used in future peptide anti-tick vaccine development. We carried out multiple sequence alignment (MSA), motif analysis, homology modeling, and structural analysis to identify tick-specific AQP1 peptide motifs. BepiPred, Chou and Fasman-Turn, Karplus and Schulz Flexibility, and Parker-Hydrophilicity prediction models were used to predict these motifs' potential to induce B cell mediated immune responses. The tick AQP1 (GenBankID: QDO67142.1) protein was largely similar to the bovine AQP1 (PDB:1J4N) (23 % sequence similarity; Structural superimposition of the homology model and 14JN homotetramers gave an RMSD = 3.269 while superimposition of a single chain gave an RMSD = 1.475). Tick and bovine AQP1 transmembrane domains were largely similar while their extracellular and cytoplasmic domain loops showed variation. Two tick-specific AQP1 peptide motifs; M7 (residues 106-125, p = 5.4e-25), and M8 (residues 85-104, p = 3.3e-24) were identified. These two motifs are located on the extra-cellular AQP1 domain. Motifs; M7 and M8 showed the highest Parker-Hydrophilicity prediction immunogenicity scores of 1.784 and 1.536, respectively. These two motifs can be a good starting point for the development of potential tick AQP1 peptide-based anti-tick vaccines. Further analyses such as molecular dynamics, in vitro assays, and in vivo immunization assays are required to validate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ndekezi
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joseph Nkamwesiga
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sylvester Ochwo
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Magambo Phillip Kimuda
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Frank Norbert Mwiine
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Robert Tweyongyere
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Wilson Amanyire
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dennis Muhanguzi
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Makerere University/Uganda Virus Research Institute Centre of Excellence in Infection and Immunity Research and Training, Entebbe, Uganda
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Babesiosis Vaccines: Lessons Learned, Challenges Ahead, and Future Glimpses. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:622-635. [PMID: 31281025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The incidence and prevalence of babesiosis in animals and humans is increasing, yet prevention, control, or treatment measures remain limited and ineffective. Despite a growing body of new knowledge of the biology, pathogenicity, and virulence of Babesia parasites, there is still no well-defined, adequately effective and easily deployable vaccine. While numerous published studies suggest that the development of such anti-Babesia vaccines should be feasible, many others identify significant challenges that need to be overcome in order to succeed. Here, we review historic and recent attempts in babesiosis vaccine discovery to avoid past pitfalls, learn new lessons, and provide a roadmap to guide the development of next-generation babesiosis vaccines.
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Pérez-Sánchez R, Manzano-Román R, Obolo-Mvoulouga P, Oleaga A. Function-guided selection of midgut antigens from Ornithodoros erraticus ticks and an evaluation of their protective efficacy in rabbits. Vet Parasitol 2019; 272:1-12. [PMID: 31395198 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The identification of candidate protective antigens for the development of tick vaccines may be approached by selecting antigen candidates that play key biological functions. Tick midgut proteins that play essential functions in tick survival and disease transmission are upregulated in response to blood feeding and digestion. In this study, Ornithodoros erraticus midgut transcriptomic and proteomic data upon feeding were inspected to select functionally relevant antigens to be assessed as vaccine candidate antigens. For this, we primarily focused on proteins with relevant biological functions in key physiological processes for ticks and tick-host-pathogen interactions. Later, we used additional criteria based on overexpression after feeding, predicted antigenicity and cellular localisation, resulting in the selection of four theoretical candidates, two aquaporins (OeAQP, OeAQP1), one ABC transporter (OeABC) and one selenoprotein T (OeSEL). Rabbit vaccination with synthetic immunogenic peptides designed from the extracellular antigenic regions of the selected candidates induced humoral responses that reduced tick feeding and reproduction performance. Both AQPs and OeSEL demonstrated significant protection efficacy against the homologous species O. erraticus, but lower non-significant cross-species protection against Ornithodoros moubata. Conversely, OeABC showed no protection against the homologous species O. erraticus, but significant cross-species protection against O. moubata. These results are the first demonstration of the protective potential of argasid aquaporins, suggesting that they might be included in vaccines for the control of multiple tick species. Additionally, these results also unveiled two novel protective antigens from argasid ticks, OeABC and OeSEL, belonging to functional protein families that have never been explored as a source of vaccine candidates and are deserving of further studies. Finally, our data add value to the midgut as a protective candidate antigen source in argasids for the control of tick infestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Pérez-Sánchez
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Raúl Manzano-Román
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Prosper Obolo-Mvoulouga
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Ana Oleaga
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
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Antunes S, Couto J, Ferrolho J, Sanches GS, Merino Charrez JO, De la Cruz Hernández N, Mazuz M, Villar M, Shkap V, de la Fuente J, Domingos A. Transcriptome and Proteome Response of Rhipicephalus annulatus Tick Vector to Babesia bigemina Infection. Front Physiol 2019; 10:318. [PMID: 31001128 PMCID: PMC6454348 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A system biology approach was used to gain insight into tick biology and interactions between vector and pathogen. Rhipicephalus annulatus is one of the main vectors of Babesia bigemina which has a massive impact on animal health. It is vital to obtain more information about this relationship, to better understand tick and pathogen biology, pathogen transmission dynamics, and new potential control approaches. In ticks, salivary glands (SGs) play a key role during pathogen infection and transmission. RNA sequencing obtained from uninfected and B. bigemina infected SGs obtained from fed female ticks resulted in 6823 and 6475 unigenes, respectively. From these, 360 unigenes were found to be differentially expressed (p < 0.05). Reversed phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry identified a total of 3679 tick proteins. Among them 406 were differently represented in response to Babesia infection. The omics data obtained suggested that Babesia infection lead to a reduction in the levels of mRNA and proteins (n = 237 transcripts, n = 212 proteins) when compared to uninfected controls. Integrated transcriptomics and proteomics datasets suggested a key role for stress response and apoptosis pathways in response to infection. Thus, six genes coding for GP80, death-associated protein kinase (DAPK-1), bax inhibitor-1 related (BI-1), heat shock protein (HSP), heat shock transcription factor (PHSTF), and queuine trna-ribosyltransferase (QtRibosyl) were selected and RNA interference (RNAi) performed. Gene silencing was obtained for all genes except phstf. Knockdown of gp80, dapk-1, and bi-1 led to a significant increase in Babesia infection levels while hsp and QtRibosyl knockdown resulted in a non-significant decrease of infection levels when compared to the respective controls. Gene knockdown did not affect tick survival, but engorged female weight and egg production were affected in the gp80, dapk-1, and QtRibosyl-silenced groups in comparison to controls. These results advanced our understanding of tick-Babesia molecular interactions, and suggested new tick antigens as putative targets for vaccination to control tick infestations and pathogen infection/transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Antunes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Couto
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Ferrolho
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Gustavo Seron Sanches
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Ned De la Cruz Hernández
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
| | | | - Margarita Villar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Varda Shkap
- Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - José 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, OK, United States
| | - Ana Domingos
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Hussein HE, Johnson WC, Taus NS, Suarez CE, Scoles GA, Ueti MW. Silencing expression of the Rhipicephalus microplus vitellogenin receptor gene blocks Babesia bovis transmission and interferes with oocyte maturation. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:7. [PMID: 30611310 PMCID: PMC6321724 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3270-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rhipicephalus microplus is an efficient biological vector of Babesia bovis, a causative agent of bovine babesiosis. Babesia bovis is passed transovarially to the next generation of ticks, which then transmit the parasite to naïve animals. Due to the importance of the R. microplus ovary for tick reproduction and transmission of B. bovis, we investigated the hypothesis that silencing vitellogenin receptor gene expression in the ovary during tick feeding on B. bovis-infected cattle would affect parasite transmission to the next generation of ticks. Results Silencing expression of the vitellogenin receptor in the ovary by RNA interference, resulted in reduced tick fertility. We observed reduced egg production (i.e. reduced weight of eggs), a lower rate of embryonic development, and a reduction in hatching. Analysis of individual larvae by PCR confirmed that RNAi mediated downregulation of the R. microplus vitellogenin receptor and also interfered with transovarial transmission of B. bovis. None of the larvae (0/58) from the RmVgR dsRNA-injected group were PCR-positive, whereas 12% (7/58) and 17% (10/58) of larvae from the non-injected and buffer-injected control groups, respectively, were infected with B. bovis. Conclusions The combined effects of reduced fecundity and reduced infection in surviving larvae resulting from silencing indicate that vitellogenin receptor is essential for tick reproduction and may play a vital role in B. bovis transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala E Hussein
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA. .,Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt.
| | - Wendell C Johnson
- Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 3003 ADBF, P.O. Box 646630, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Naomi S Taus
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 3003 ADBF, P.O. Box 646630, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Carlos E Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 3003 ADBF, P.O. Box 646630, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Glen A Scoles
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 3003 ADBF, P.O. Box 646630, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Massaro W Ueti
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 3003 ADBF, P.O. Box 646630, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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16
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Grabowski JM, Hill CA. A Roadmap for Tick-Borne Flavivirus Research in the "Omics" Era. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:519. [PMID: 29312896 PMCID: PMC5744076 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFs) affect human health globally. Human vaccines provide protection against some TBFs, and antivirals are available, yet TBF-specific control strategies are limited. Advances in genomics offer hope to understand the viral complement transmitted by ticks, and to develop disruptive, data-driven technologies for virus detection, treatment, and control. The genome assemblies of Ixodes scapularis, the North American tick vector of the TBF, Powassan virus, and other tick vectors, are providing insights into tick biology and pathogen transmission and serve as nucleation points for expanded genomic research. Systems biology has yielded insights to the response of tick cells to viral infection at the transcript and protein level, and new protein targets for vaccines to limit virus transmission. Reverse vaccinology approaches have moved candidate tick antigenic epitopes into vaccine development pipelines. Traditional drug and in silico screening have identified candidate antivirals, and target-based approaches have been developed to identify novel acaricides. Yet, additional genomic resources are required to expand TBF research. Priorities include genome assemblies for tick vectors, “omic” studies involving high consequence pathogens and vectors, and emphasizing viral metagenomics, tick-virus metabolomics, and structural genomics of TBF and tick proteins. Also required are resources for forward genetics, including the development of tick strains with quantifiable traits, genetic markers and linkage maps. Here we review the current state of genomic research on ticks and tick-borne viruses with an emphasis on TBFs. We outline an ambitious 10-year roadmap for research in the “omics era,” and explore key milestones needed to accomplish the goal of delivering three new vaccines, antivirals and acaricides for TBF control by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Grabowski
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Catherine A Hill
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.,Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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17
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Contreras M, de la Fuente J. Control of infestations by Ixodes ricinus tick larvae in rabbits vaccinated with aquaporin recombinant antigens. Vaccine 2017; 35:1323-1328. [PMID: 28161419 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.01.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick-borne diseases greatly impact human and animal health worldwide, and vaccines are an environmentally friendly alternative to acaricides for their control. Recent results have suggested that aquaporin (AQP) water channels have a key function during tick feeding and development, and constitute good candidate antigens for the control of tick infestations. METHODS Here we describe the effect of vaccination with the Ixodes ricinus AQP1 (IrAQP) and a tick AQP conserved region (CoAQP) on I. ricinus tick larval mortality, feeding and molting. RESULTS We demonstrated that vaccination with IrAQP and CoAQP had an efficacy of 32% and 80%, respectively on the control of I. ricinus larvae by considering the cumulative effect on reducing tick survival and molting. CONCLUSIONS The effect of the AQP vaccines on larval survival and molting is essential to reduce tick infestations, and extended previous results on the effect of R. microplus AQP1 on the control of cattle tick infestations. These results supports that AQP, and particularly CoAQP, might be a candidate protective antigen for the control of different tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinela Contreras
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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18
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Ferritin 1 silencing effect in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Acari: Ixodidae) during experimental infection with Ehrlichia canis. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:174-184. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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19
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de la Fuente J, Kopáček P, Lew-Tabor A, Maritz-Olivier C. Strategies for new and improved vaccines against ticks and tick-borne diseases. Parasite Immunol 2016; 38:754-769. [PMID: 27203187 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Ticks infest a variety of animal species and transmit pathogens causing disease in both humans and animals worldwide. Tick-host-pathogen interactions have evolved through dynamic processes that accommodated the genetic traits of the hosts, pathogens transmitted and the vector tick species that mediate their development and survival. New approaches for tick control are dependent on defining molecular interactions between hosts, ticks and pathogens to allow for discovery of key molecules that could be tested in vaccines or new generation therapeutics for intervention of tick-pathogen cycles. Currently, tick vaccines constitute an effective and environmentally sound approach for the control of ticks and the transmission of the associated tick-borne diseases. New candidate protective antigens will most likely be identified by focusing on proteins with relevant biological function in the feeding, reproduction, development, immune response, subversion of host immunity of the tick vector and/or molecules vital for pathogen infection and transmission. This review addresses different approaches and strategies used for the discovery of protective antigens, including focusing on relevant tick biological functions and proteins, reverse genetics, vaccinomics and tick protein evolution and interactomics. New and improved tick vaccines will most likely contain multiple antigens to control tick infestations and pathogen infection and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- J 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, OK, USA
| | - P Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - A Lew-Tabor
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, Australia.,Centre for Comparative Genomics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - C Maritz-Olivier
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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20
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Schetters T, Bishop R, Crampton M, Kopáček P, Lew-Tabor A, Maritz-Olivier C, Miller R, Mosqueda J, Patarroyo J, Rodriguez-Valle M, Scoles GA, de la Fuente J. Cattle tick vaccine researchers join forces in CATVAC. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:105. [PMID: 26911668 PMCID: PMC4766707 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1386-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A meeting sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was held at the Avanti Hotel, Mohammedia, Morocco, July 14–15, 2015. The meeting resulted in the formation of the Cattle Tick Vaccine Consortium (CATVAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Schetters
- ProtActivity R&D, Cuijk, The Netherlands. .,ClinVet International, Bloemfontein, South-Africa.
| | - Richard Bishop
- Tick Unit, International Livestock Research Institute ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Michael Crampton
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, Gauteng, South-Africa.
| | - Petr Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Alicja Lew-Tabor
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia. .,Murdoch University, Centre for Comparative Genomics, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Christine Maritz-Olivier
- The Genomics Research Institute, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South-Africa.
| | - Robert Miller
- Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Edinburg, TX, USA.
| | - Juan Mosqueda
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico.
| | | | - Manuel Rodriguez-Valle
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.
| | - Glen A Scoles
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
| | - José 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, OK, USA.
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21
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Poelchau MF, Coates BS, Childers CP, Peréz de León AA, Evans JD, Hackett K, Shoemaker D. Agricultural applications of insect ecological genomics. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 13:61-69. [PMID: 27436554 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural entomology is poised to benefit from the application of ecological genomics, particularly the fields of biofuels generation and pest control. Metagenomic methods can characterize microbial communities of termites, wood-boring beetles and livestock pests, and transcriptomic approaches reveal molecular bases behind wood-digesting capabilities of these insects, leading to potential mechanisms for biofuel generation. Genome sequences are being exploited to develop new pest control methods, identify candidate antigens to vaccinate livestock, and discover RNAi target sequences and potential non-target effects in other insects. Gene content analyses of pest genome sequences and their endosymbionts suggest metabolic interdependencies between organisms, exposing potential gene targets for insect control. Finally, genome-wide association studies and genotyping by high-throughput sequencing promise to improve management of pesticide resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica F Poelchau
- USDA-ARS, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705, United States.
| | - Brad S Coates
- USDA-ARS, Corn Insects & Crop Genetics Research Unit, Ames, IA 50011, United States
| | | | - Adalberto A Peréz de León
- USDA-ARS, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Kerrville, TX 78028, United States
| | - Jay D Evans
- USDA-ARS, Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, United States
| | - Kevin Hackett
- USDA-ARS, Office of National Programs, Crop Production and Protection, Beltsville, MD 20705, United States
| | - DeWayne Shoemaker
- USDA-ARS, Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research Unit, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States.
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