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Balakrishnan N, Katkar R, Pham PV, Downey T, Kashyap P, Anastasiu DC, Ramasubramanian AK. Prospection of Peptide Inhibitors of Thrombin from Diverse Origins Using a Machine Learning Pipeline. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1300. [PMID: 38002424 PMCID: PMC10669389 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10111300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Thrombin is a key enzyme involved in the development and progression of many cardiovascular diseases. Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), with their minimum off-target effects and immediacy of action, have greatly improved the treatment of these diseases. However, the risk of bleeding, pharmacokinetic issues, and thrombotic complications remain major concerns. In an effort to increase the effectiveness of the DTI discovery pipeline, we developed a two-stage machine learning pipeline to identify and rank peptide sequences based on their effective thrombin inhibitory potential. The positive dataset for our model consisted of thrombin inhibitor peptides and their binding affinities (KI) curated from published literature, and the negative dataset consisted of peptides with no known thrombin inhibitory or related activity. The first stage of the model identified thrombin inhibitory sequences with Matthew's Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 83.6%. The second stage of the model, which covers an eight-order of magnitude range in KI values, predicted the binding affinity of new sequences with a log room mean square error (RMSE) of 1.114. These models also revealed physicochemical and structural characteristics that are hidden but unique to thrombin inhibitor peptides. Using the model, we classified more than 10 million peptides from diverse sources and identified unique short peptide sequences (<15 aa) of interest, based on their predicted KI. Based on the binding energies of the interaction of the peptide with thrombin, we identified a promising set of putative DTI candidates. The prediction pipeline is available on a web server.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivedha Balakrishnan
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA (P.K.)
| | - Rahul Katkar
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA (P.K.)
| | - Peter V. Pham
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA (P.K.)
| | - Taylor Downey
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA (D.C.A.)
| | - Prarthna Kashyap
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA (P.K.)
| | - David C. Anastasiu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA (D.C.A.)
| | - Anand K. Ramasubramanian
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA (P.K.)
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Chen Y, Jin S, Zhang M, Hu Y, Wu KL, Chung A, Wang S, Tian Z, Wang Y, Wolynes PG, Xiao H. Unleashing the potential of noncanonical amino acid biosynthesis to create cells with precision tyrosine sulfation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5434. [PMID: 36114189 PMCID: PMC9481576 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the great promise of genetic code expansion technology to modulate structures and functions of proteins, external addition of ncAAs is required in most cases and it often limits the utility of genetic code expansion technology, especially to noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with poor membrane internalization. Here, we report the creation of autonomous cells, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, with the ability to biosynthesize and genetically encode sulfotyrosine (sTyr), an important protein post-translational modification with low membrane permeability. These engineered cells can produce site-specifically sulfated proteins at a higher yield than cells fed exogenously with the highest level of sTyr reported in the literature. We use these autonomous cells to prepare highly potent thrombin inhibitors with site-specific sulfation. By enhancing ncAA incorporation efficiency, this added ability of cells to biosynthesize ncAAs and genetically incorporate them into proteins greatly extends the utility of genetic code expansion methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuda Chen
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Shikai Jin
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Mengxi Zhang
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Yu Hu
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Kuan-Lin Wu
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Anna Chung
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Shichao Wang
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Zeru Tian
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Yixian Wang
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Peter G. Wolynes
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Han Xiao
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
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Ali A, Zeb I, Alouffi A, Zahid H, Almutairi MM, Ayed Alshammari F, Alrouji M, Termignoni C, Vaz IDS, Tanaka T. Host Immune Responses to Salivary Components - A Critical Facet of Tick-Host Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:809052. [PMID: 35372098 PMCID: PMC8966233 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.809052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick sialome is comprised of a rich cocktail of bioactive molecules that function as a tool to disarm host immunity, assist blood-feeding, and play a vibrant role in pathogen transmission. The adaptation of the tick's blood-feeding behavior has lead to the evolution of bioactive molecules in its saliva to assist them to overwhelm hosts' defense mechanisms. During a blood meal, a tick secretes different salivary molecules including vasodilators, platelet aggregation inhibitors, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory proteins, and inhibitors of complement activation; the salivary repertoire changes to meet various needs such as tick attachment, feeding, and modulation or impairment of the local dynamic and vigorous host responses. For instance, the tick's salivary immunomodulatory and cement proteins facilitate the tick's attachment to the host to enhance prolonged blood-feeding and to modulate the host's innate and adaptive immune responses. Recent advances implemented in the field of "omics" have substantially assisted our understanding of host immune modulation and immune inhibition against the molecular dynamics of tick salivary molecules in a crosstalk between the tick-host interface. A deep understanding of the tick salivary molecules, their substantial roles in multifactorial immunological cascades, variations in secretion, and host immune responses against these molecules is necessary to control these parasites. In this article, we reviewed updated knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying host responses to diverse elements in tick saliva throughout tick invasion, as well as host defense strategies. In conclusion, understanding the mechanisms involved in the complex interactions between the tick salivary components and host responses is essential to decipher the host defense mechanisms against the tick evasion strategies at tick-host interface which is promising in the development of effective anti-tick vaccines and drug therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Ismail Zeb
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hafsa Zahid
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Mashal M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahdah Ayed Alshammari
- College of Sciences and Literature Microbiology, Nothern Border University, Rafha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alrouji
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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Tyrosine-O-sulfation is a widespread affinity enhancer among thrombin interactors. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:387-401. [PMID: 34994377 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Tyrosine-O-sulfation is a common post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins following the cellular secretory pathway. First described in human fibrinogen, tyrosine-O-sulfation has long been associated with the modulation of protein-protein interactions in several physiological processes. A number of relevant interactions for hemostasis are largely dictated by this PTM, many of which involving the serine proteinase thrombin (FIIa), a central player in the blood-clotting cascade. Tyrosine sulfation is not limited to endogenous FIIa ligands and has also been found in hirudin, a well-known and potent thrombin inhibitor from the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis. The discovery of hirudin led to successful clinical application of analogs of leech-inspired molecules, but also unveiled several other natural thrombin-directed anticoagulant molecules, many of which undergo tyrosine-O-sulfation. The presence of this PTM has been shown to enhance the anticoagulant properties of these peptides from a range of blood-feeding organisms, including ticks, mosquitos and flies. Interestingly, some of these molecules display mechanisms of action that mimic those of thrombin's bona fide substrates.
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Rajendran KV, Neelakanta G, Sultana H. Sphingomyelinases in a journey to combat arthropod-borne pathogen transmission. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:1622-1638. [PMID: 33960414 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks feed on humans and other vertebrate hosts and transmit several pathogens of public health concern. Tick saliva is a complex mixture of bioactive proteins, lipids and immunomodulators, such as I. scapularis sphingomyelinase (IsSMase)-like protein, an ortholog of dermonecrotoxin SMase D found in the venom of Loxosceles spp. of spiders. IsSMase modulates the host immune response towards Th2, which suppresses Th1-mediated cytokines to facilitate pathogen transmission. Arboviruses utilize exosomes for their transmission from tick to the vertebrate host, and exosomes derived from tick saliva/salivary glands suppress C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 and interleukin-8 immune response(s) in human skin to delay wound healing and repair processes. IsSMase affects also viral replication and exosome biogenesis, thereby inhibiting tick-to-vertebrate host transmission of pathogenic exosomes. In this review, we elaborate on exosomes and their biogenesis as potential candidates for developing novel control measure(s) to combat tick-borne diseases. Such targets could help with the development of an efficient anti-tick vaccine for preventing the transmission of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kundave V Rajendran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Girish Neelakanta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Hameeda Sultana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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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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Narasimhan S, Kurokawa C, DeBlasio M, Matias J, Sajid A, Pal U, Lynn G, Fikrig E. Acquired tick resistance: The trail is hot. Parasite Immunol 2020; 43:e12808. [PMID: 33187012 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acquired tick resistance is a phenomenon wherein the host elicits an immune response against tick salivary components upon repeated tick infestations. The immune responses, potentially directed against critical salivary components, thwart tick feeding, and the animal becomes resistant to subsequent tick infestations. The development of tick resistance is frequently observed when ticks feed on non-natural hosts, but not on natural hosts. The molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of tick resistance are not fully understood, and both host and tick factors are invoked in this phenomenon. Advances in molecular tools to address the host and the tick are beginning to reveal new insights into this phenomenon and to uncover a deeper understanding of the fundamental biology of tick-host interactions. This review will focus on the expanding understanding of acquired tick resistance and highlight the impact of this understanding on anti-tick vaccine development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cheyne Kurokawa
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Melody DeBlasio
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jaqueline Matias
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Andaleeb Sajid
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Geoffrey Lynn
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Mans BJ. Chemical Equilibrium at the Tick-Host Feeding Interface:A Critical Examination of Biological Relevance in Hematophagous Behavior. Front Physiol 2019; 10:530. [PMID: 31118903 PMCID: PMC6504839 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks secrete hundreds to thousands of proteins into the feeding site, that presumably all play important functions in the modulation of host defense mechanisms. The current review considers the assumption that tick proteins have functional relevance during feeding. The feeding site may be described as a closed system and could be treated as an ideal equilibrium system, thereby allowing modeling of tick-host interactions in an equilibrium state. In this equilibrium state, the concentration of host and tick proteins and their affinities will determine functional relevance at the tick-host interface. Using this approach, many characterized tick proteins may have functional relevant concentrations and affinities at the feeding site. Conversely, the feeding site is not an ideal closed system, but is dynamic and changing, leading to possible overestimation of tick protein concentration at the feeding site and consequently an overestimation of functional relevance. Ticks have evolved different possible strategies to deal with this dynamic environment and overcome the barrier that equilibrium kinetics poses to tick feeding. Even so, cognisance of the limitations that equilibrium binding place on deductions of functional relevance should serve as an important incentive to determine both the concentration and affinity of tick proteins proposed to be functional at the feeding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J. Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
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9
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He XM, Liu L, Cheng TY. HSC70 from Haemaphysalis flava (Acari: Ixodidae) exerts anticoagulation activity in vitro. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:170-175. [PMID: 30366643 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are major global health threats. During blood feeding, ticks insert their hypostomes into hosts and inject an array of anticoagulant molecules to maintain fluidity of the blood-meal. These anticoagulant molecules may provide insights into understanding the feeding biology of ticks and to develop vaccines against infestations. In Haemaphysalis flava, the heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70), a member of the heat shock protein (HSP) family, is differentially expressed in salivary glands at different levels of engorgement during blood feeding. However, its function in ticks is largely not known. The present study was designed to explore the possible effects of HSC70 on the plasma. The open reading frame (ORF) of HSC70 was expressed in a prokaryotic system, and recombinant HSC70 (rHSC70) was purified and characterized. The anticoagulation activity of rHSC70 was estimated by measuring prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen (FIB) with/without its inhibitor, VER155008. The results demonstrated that rHSC70 from H. flava extended TT (P < 0.001) and FIB clotting times (>300 s), but showed little effect on PT and APTT. Adding an inhibitor reversed anticlotting effects of rHSC70 on TT and FIB. These data indicate that rHSC70 is an anticoagulant agent, and the anticlotting activity likely attributes to the inhibition of thrombin and the transformation of fibrinogen into fibrin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ming He
- 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, 410128, China
| | - Lei 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, 410128, China.
| | - Tian-Yin 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, 410128, China.
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Parizi LF, Ali A, Tirloni L, Oldiges DP, Sabadin GA, Coutinho ML, Seixas A, Logullo C, Termignoni C, DA Silva Vaz I. Peptidase inhibitors in tick physiology. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 32:129-144. [PMID: 29111611 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Peptidase inhibitors regulate a wide range of physiological processes involved in the interaction between hematophagous parasites and their hosts, including tissue remodeling, the immune response and blood coagulation. In tick physiology, peptidase inhibitors have a crucial role in adaptation to improve parasitism mechanisms, facilitating blood feeding by interfering with defense-related host peptidases. Recently, a larger number of studies on this topic led to the description of several new tick inhibitors displaying interesting novel features, for example a role in pathogen transmission to the host. A comprehensive review discussing these emerging concepts can therefore shed light on peptidase inhibitor functions, their relevance to tick physiology and their potential applications. Here, we summarize and examine the general characteristics, functional diversity and action of tick peptidase inhibitors with known physiological roles in the tick-host-pathogen interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- L F Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - A Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
- Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - L Tirloni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - D P Oldiges
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - G A Sabadin
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - M L Coutinho
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - A Seixas
- Departamento de Farmacociências, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - C Logullo
- Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos-CBB and Unidade de Experimentação Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - C Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - I DA Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Šimo L, Kazimirova M, Richardson J, Bonnet SI. The Essential Role of Tick Salivary Glands and Saliva in Tick Feeding and Pathogen Transmission. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:281. [PMID: 28690983 PMCID: PMC5479950 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As long-term pool feeders, ticks have developed myriad strategies to remain discreetly but solidly attached to their hosts for the duration of their blood meal. The critical biological material that dampens host defenses and facilitates the flow of blood-thus assuring adequate feeding-is tick saliva. Saliva exhibits cytolytic, vasodilator, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and immunosuppressive activity. This essential fluid is secreted by the salivary glands, which also mediate several other biological functions, including secretion of cement and hygroscopic components, as well as the watery component of blood as regards hard ticks. When salivary glands are invaded by tick-borne pathogens, pathogens may be transmitted via saliva, which is injected alternately with blood uptake during the tick bite. Both salivary glands and saliva thus play a key role in transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to vertebrate hosts. During their long co-evolution with ticks and vertebrate hosts, microorganisms have indeed developed various strategies to exploit tick salivary molecules to ensure both acquisition by ticks and transmission, local infection and systemic dissemination within the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladislav Šimo
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
| | - Maria Kazimirova
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of SciencesBratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jennifer Richardson
- UMR Virologie, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sarah I. Bonnet
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
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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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Brahma RK, Blanchet G, Kaur S, Manjunatha Kini R, Doley R. Expression and characterization of haemathrins, madanin-like thrombin inhibitors, isolated from the salivary gland of tick Haemaphysalis bispinosa (Acari: Ixodidae). Thromb Res 2017; 152:20-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2017.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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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: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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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15
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Tyrosine sulfation modulates activity of tick-derived thrombin inhibitors. Nat Chem 2017; 9:909-917. [DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Ribeiro JMC, Slovák M, Francischetti IMB. An insight into the sialome of Hyalomma excavatum. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 8:201-207. [PMID: 28049606 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Tick saliva contains hundreds or thousands of proteins that help blood feeding by impairing their hosts' hemostasis, inflammation and immunity. Salivary gland transcriptomes allow the disclosure of this pharmacologically active potion that consists of several multi-gene families, many of which are tick-specific. We here report the "de novo" assembly of ∼138 million reads deriving from a cDNA library from salivary glands of adult male and female Hyalomma excavatum leading to the public deposition of 5337 coding sequences to GenBank. Among the deducted putative secreted proteins, metalloproteases, glycine rich proteins, mucins, anticoagulants of the madanin family and lipocalins were the most expressed. Novel protein families were identified. These sequences will permit proteomic studies aiming at identification of target antigens, epidemiological markers or salivary pharmaceuticals of interest, and contribute to our understanding of the fast evolution of the tick sialome.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M C Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda MD 20852, USA.
| | - Mirko Slovák
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Ivo M B Francischetti
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda MD 20852, USA.
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17
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Mans BJ, de Castro MH, Pienaar R, de Klerk D, Gaven P, Genu S, Latif AA. Ancestral reconstruction of tick lineages. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:509-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Jablonka W, Kotsyfakis M, Mizurini DM, Monteiro RQ, Lukszo J, Drake SK, Ribeiro JMC, Andersen JF. Identification and Mechanistic Analysis of a Novel Tick-Derived Inhibitor of Thrombin. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133991. [PMID: 26244557 PMCID: PMC4526366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
A group of peptides from the salivary gland of the tick Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, a vector of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever show weak similarity to the madanins, a group of thrombin-inhibitory peptides from a second tick species, Haemaphysalis longicornis. We have evaluated the anti-serine protease activity of one of these H. marginatum peptides that has been given the name hyalomin-1. Hyalomin-1 was found to be a selective inhibitor of thrombin, blocking coagulation of plasma and inhibiting S2238 hydrolysis in a competitive manner with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 12 nM at an ionic strength of 150 mM. It also blocks the thrombin-mediated activation of coagulation factor XI, thrombin-mediated platelet aggregation, and the activation of coagulation factor V by thrombin. Hyalomin-1 is cleaved at a canonical thrombin cleavage site but the cleaved products do not inhibit coagulation. However, the C-terminal cleavage product showed non-competitive inhibition of S2238 hydrolysis. A peptide combining the N-terminal parts of the molecule with the cleavage region did not interact strongly with thrombin, but a 24-residue fragment containing the cleavage region and the C-terminal fragment inhibited the enzyme in a competitive manner and also inhibited coagulation of plasma. These results suggest that the peptide acts by binding to the active site as well as exosite I or the autolysis loop of thrombin. Injection of 2.5 mg/kg of hyalomin-1 increased arterial occlusion time in a mouse model of thrombosis, suggesting this peptide could be a candidate for clinical use as an antithrombotic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willy Jablonka
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michalis Kotsyfakis
- Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Daniella M. Mizurini
- Instituto de Bioquimica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Robson Q. Monteiro
- Instituto de Bioquimica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jan Lukszo
- Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Steven K. Drake
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - José M. C. Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John F. Andersen
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Thompson RE, Liu X, Alonso-García N, Pereira PJB, Jolliffe KA, Payne RJ. Trifluoroethanethiol: an additive for efficient one-pot peptide ligation-desulfurization chemistry. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:8161-4. [PMID: 24873761 DOI: 10.1021/ja502806r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Native chemical ligation followed by desulfurization is a powerful strategy for the assembly of proteins. Here we describe the development of a high-yielding, one-pot ligation-desulfurization protocol that uses trifluoroethanethiol (TFET) as a novel thiol additive. The synthetic utility of this TFET-enabled methodology is demonstrated by the efficient multi-step one-pot syntheses of two tick-derived proteins, chimadanin and madanin-1, without the need for any intermediary purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Thompson
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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20
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Figueiredo AC, de Sanctis D, Pereira PJB. The tick-derived anticoagulant madanin is processed by thrombin and factor Xa. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71866. [PMID: 23951260 PMCID: PMC3741208 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The cysteine-less peptidic anticoagulants madanin-1 and madanin-2 from the bush tick Haemaphysalis longicornis are the founding members of the MEROPS inhibitor family I53. It has been previously suggested that madanins exert their functional activity by competing with physiological substrates for binding to the positively charged exosite I (fibrinogen-binding exosite) of α-thrombin. We hereby demonstrate that competitive inhibition of α-thrombin by madanin-1 or madanin-2 involves binding to the enzyme's active site. Moreover, the blood coagulation factors IIa and Xa are shown to hydrolyze both inhibitors at different, although partially overlapping cleavage sites. Finally, the three-dimensional structure of the complex formed between human α-thrombin and a proteolytic fragment of madanin-1, determined by X-ray crystallography, elucidates the molecular details of madanin-1 recognition and processing by the proteinase. Taken together, the current findings establish the mechanism of action of madanins, natural anticoagulants that behave as cleavable competitive inhibitors of thrombin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Figueiredo
- IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniele de Sanctis
- Structural Biology Group, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France
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Chmelar J, Calvo E, Pedra JHF, Francischetti IMB, Kotsyfakis M. Tick salivary secretion as a source of antihemostatics. J Proteomics 2012; 75:3842-54. [PMID: 22564820 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2012.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2012] [Revised: 04/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are mostly obligatory blood feeding ectoparasites that have an impact on human and animal health. In addition to direct damage due to feeding, some tick species serve as the vectors for the causative agents of several diseases, such as the spirochetes of the genus Borrelia causing Lyme disease, the virus of tick-borne encephalitis, various Rickettsial pathogens or even protozoan parasites like Babesia spp. Hard ticks are unique among bloodfeeders because of their prolonged feeding period that may last up to two weeks. During such a long period of blood uptake, the host develops a wide range of mechanisms to prevent blood loss. The arthropod ectoparasite, in turn, secretes saliva in the sites of bite that assists blood feeding. Indeed, tick saliva represents a rich source of proteins with potent pharmacologic action that target different mechanisms of coagulation, platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction. Tick adaptation to their vertebrate hosts led to the inclusion of a powerful protein armamentarium in their salivary secretion that has been investigated by high-throughput methods. The resulting knowledge can be exploited for the isolation of novel antihemostatic agents. Here we review the tick salivary antihemostatics and their characterized functions at the molecular and cellular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindrich Chmelar
- Division of Vascular Inflammation, Diabetes and Kidney, Department of Medicine and Institute of Physiology, Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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Francischetti IMB, Anderson JM, Manoukis N, Pham VM, Ribeiro JMC. An insight into the sialotranscriptome and proteome of the coarse bontlegged tick, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes. J Proteomics 2011; 74:2892-908. [PMID: 21851864 PMCID: PMC3215792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2011.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2011] [Revised: 07/11/2011] [Accepted: 07/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are mites specialized in acquiring blood from vertebrates as their sole source of food and are important disease vectors to humans and animals. Among the specializations required for this peculiar diet, ticks evolved a sophisticated salivary potion that can disarm their host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immune reactions. Previous transcriptome analysis of tick salivary proteins has revealed many new protein families indicative of fast evolution, possibly due to host immune pressure. The hard ticks (family Ixodidae) are further divided into two basal groups, of which the Metastriata have 11 genera. While salivary transcriptomes and proteomes have been described for some of these genera, no tick of the genus Hyalomma has been studied so far. The analysis of 2084 expressed sequence tags (EST) from a salivary gland cDNA library allowed an exploration of the proteome of this tick species by matching peptide ions derived from MS/MS experiments to this data set. We additionally compared these MS/MS derived peptide sequences against the proteins from the bovine host, finding many host proteins in the salivary glands of this tick. This annotated data set can assist the discovery of new targets for anti-tick vaccines as well as help to identify pharmacologically active proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo MB Francischetti
- Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville MD 20852, USA
| | - Jennifer M Anderson
- Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville MD 20852, USA
| | - Nicholas Manoukis
- Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville MD 20852, USA
| | - Van M Pham
- Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville MD 20852, USA
| | - José MC Ribeiro
- Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville MD 20852, USA
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23
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24
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Ribeiro JM, Anderson JM, Manoukis NC, Meng Z, Francischetti IM. A further insight into the sialome of the tropical bont tick, Amblyomma variegatum. BMC Genomics 2011; 12:136. [PMID: 21362191 PMCID: PMC3060141 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2010] [Accepted: 03/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks--vectors of medical and veterinary importance--are themselves also significant pests. Tick salivary proteins are the result of adaptation to blood feeding and contain inhibitors of blood clotting, platelet aggregation, and angiogenesis, as well as vasodilators and immunomodulators. A previous analysis of the sialotranscriptome (from the Greek sialo, saliva) of Amblyomma variegatum is revisited in light of recent advances in tick sialomes and provides a database to perform a proteomic study. Results The clusterized data set has been expertly curated in light of recent reviews on tick salivary proteins, identifying many new families of tick-exclusive proteins. A proteome study using salivary gland homogenates identified 19 putative secreted proteins within a total of 211 matches. Conclusions The annotated sialome of A. variegatum allows its comparison to other tick sialomes, helping to consolidate an emerging pattern in the salivary composition of metastriate ticks; novel protein families were also identified. Because most of these proteins have no known function, the task of functional analysis of these proteins and the discovery of novel pharmacologically active compounds becomes possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Mc Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20892, USA.
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25
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Carvalho Figueiredo A, Clement CC, Philipp M, Barbosa Pereira PJ. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic characterization of three peptidic inhibitors in complex with α-thrombin. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2011; 67:54-8. [PMID: 21206024 PMCID: PMC3079972 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309110043472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2010] [Accepted: 10/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The serine protease thrombin plays a major role in thrombosis and haemostasis. This has driven interest in thrombin inhibitors as potential antithrombotic drugs. Here, the crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of human α-thrombin in complex with three noncovalent peptide inhibitors of the general sequence D-Phe-Pro-D-Arg-P1'-CONH2 are reported. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and diffracted to beyond 1.3 Å resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carvalho Figueiredo
- IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristina C. Clement
- Department of Chemistry, Lehman College and Biochemistry Program, CUNY Graduate School, New York, NY 10036, USA
| | - Manfred Philipp
- Department of Chemistry, Lehman College and Biochemistry Program, CUNY Graduate School, New York, NY 10036, USA
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26
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Anatriello E, Ribeiro JMC, de Miranda-Santos IKF, Brandão LG, Anderson JM, Valenzuela JG, Maruyama SR, Silva JS, Ferreira BR. An insight into the sialotranscriptome of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:450. [PMID: 20650005 PMCID: PMC3091647 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 07/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhipicephalus sanguineus, known as the brown dog tick, is a common ectoparasite of domestic dogs and can be found worldwide. R.sanguineus is recognized as the primary vector of the etiological agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis. Here we present the first description of a R. sanguineus salivary gland transcriptome by the production and analysis of 2,034 expressed sequence tags (EST) from two cDNA libraries, one consctructed using mRNA from dissected salivary glands from female ticks fed for 3-5 days (early to mid library, RsSGL1) and the another from ticks fed for 5 days (mid library, RsSGL2), identifying 1,024 clusters of related sequences. RESULTS Based on sequence similarities to nine different databases, we identified transcripts of genes that were further categorized according to function. The category of putative housekeeping genes contained approximately 56% of the sequences and had on average 2.49 ESTs per cluster, the secreted protein category contained 26.6% of the ESTs and had 2.47 EST's/clusters, while 15.3% of the ESTs, mostly singletons, were not classifiable, and were annotated as "unknown function". The secreted category included genes that coded for lipocalins, proteases inhibitors, disintegrins, metalloproteases, immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory proteins, as Evasins and Da-p36, as well as basic-tail and 18.3 kDa proteins, cement proteins, mucins, defensins and antimicrobial peptides. Comparison of the abundance of ESTs from similar contigs of the two salivary gland cDNA libraries allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes, such as genes coding for Evasins and a thrombin inhibitor, which were over expressed in the RsSGL1 (early to mid library) versus RsSGL2 (mid library), indicating their role in inhibition of inflammation at the tick feeding site from the very beginning of the blood meal. Conversely, sequences related to cement (64P), which function has been correlated with tick attachment, was largely expressed in the mid library. CONCLUSIONS Our survey provided an insight into the R. sanguineus sialotranscriptome, which can assist the discovery of new targets for anti-tick vaccines, as well as help to identify pharmacologically active proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elen Anatriello
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil
| | - José MC Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-8132, USA
| | - Isabel KF de Miranda-Santos
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, 70770-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Lucinda G Brandão
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil
- Universidade Paulista, Avenida Baguaçu, 1939, 16018-280, Araçatuba, SP, Brasil
| | - Jennifer M Anderson
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-8132, USA
| | - Jesus G Valenzuela
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-8132, USA
| | - Sandra R Maruyama
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil
| | - João S Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Beatriz R Ferreira
- Department of Maternal and Child and Public Health Nursing, Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil
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Rodriguez-Valle M, Lew-Tabor A, Gondro C, Moolhuijzen P, Vance M, Guerrero FD, Bellgard M, Jorgensen W. Comparative microarray analysis of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus expression profiles of larvae pre-attachment and feeding adult female stages on Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:437. [PMID: 20637126 PMCID: PMC3224725 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2010] [Accepted: 07/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is an obligate blood feeder which is host specific to cattle. Existing knowledge pertaining to the host or host breed effects on tick transcript expression profiles during the tick - host interaction is poor. Results Global analysis of gene expression changes in whole R. microplus ticks during larval, pre-attachment and early adult stages feeding on Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle were compared using gene expression microarray analysis. Among the 13,601 R. microplus transcripts from BmiGI Version 2 we identified 297 high and 17 low expressed transcripts that were significantly differentially expressed between R. microplus feeding on tick resistant cattle [Bos indicus (Brahman)] compared to R. microplus feeding on tick susceptible cattle [Bos taurus (Holstein-Friesian)] (p ≤ 0.001). These include genes encoding enzymes involved in primary metabolism, and genes related to stress, defence, cell wall modification, cellular signaling, receptor, and cuticle formation. Microarrays were validated by qRT-PCR analysis of selected transcripts using three housekeeping genes as normalization controls. Conclusion The analysis of all tick stages under survey suggested a coordinated regulation of defence proteins, proteases and protease inhibitors to achieve successful attachment and survival of R. microplus on different host breeds, particularly Bos indicus cattle. R. microplus ticks demonstrate different transcript expression patterns when they encounter tick resistant and susceptible breeds of cattle. In this study we provide the first transcriptome evidence demonstrating the influence of tick resistant and susceptible cattle breeds on transcript expression patterns and the molecular physiology of ticks during host attachment and feeding. The microarray data used in this analysis have been submitted to NCBI GEO database under accession number GSE20605 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE20605.
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Tetsuhashi M, Ishikawa M, Hashimoto M, Hashimoto Y, Aoyama H. Development of tryptase inhibitors derived from thalidomide. Bioorg Med Chem 2010; 18:5323-38. [PMID: 20561792 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2010.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2010] [Revised: 05/13/2010] [Accepted: 05/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A novel series of tryptase inhibitors with a N-phenylphthalimide skeleton structurally derived from thalidomide (1) has been developed. Structure-activity relationship studies led to a potent and selective tryptase inhibitor, 2-(4-cyanophenyl)isoindole-1,3-dione-5-yl 3-(2-aminopyridin-5-yl)propanoate (7), with the IC50 value of 78 nM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Tetsuhashi
- Institute of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
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29
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Abstract
The MEROPS website (http://merops.sanger.ac.uk) includes information on peptidase inhibitors as well as on peptidases and their substrates. Displays have been put in place to link peptidases and inhibitors together. The classification of protein peptidase inhibitors is continually being revised, and currently inhibitors are grouped into 67 families based on comparisons of protein sequences. These families can be further grouped into 38 clans based on comparisons of tertiary structure. Small molecule inhibitors are important reagents for peptidase characterization and, with the increasing importance of peptidases as drug targets, they are also important to the pharmaceutical industry. Small molecule inhibitors are now included in MEROPS and over 160 summaries have been written.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil D Rawlings
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, UK.
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Carvalho WA, Maruyama SR, Franzin AM, Abatepaulo ARR, Anderson JM, Ferreira BR, Ribeiro JMC, Moré DD, Augusto Mendes Maia A, Valenzuela JG, Garcia GR, de Miranda Santos IKF. Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus: clotting time in tick-infested skin varies according to local inflammation and gene expression patterns in tick salivary glands. Exp Parasitol 2010; 124:428-35. [PMID: 20045690 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2009.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2009] [Revised: 11/26/2009] [Accepted: 12/23/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Ticks deposit saliva at the site of their attachment to a host in order to inhibit haemostasis, inflammation and innate and adaptive immune responses. The anti-haemostatic properties of tick saliva have been described by many studies, but few show that tick infestations or its anti-haemostatic components exert systemic effects in vivo. In the present study, we extended these observations and show that, compared with normal skin, bovine hosts that are genetically susceptible to tick infestations present an increase in the clotting time of blood collected from the immediate vicinity of haemorrhagic feeding pools in skin infested with different developmental stages of Rhipicepahlus microplus; conversely, we determined that clotting time of tick-infested skin from genetically resistant bovines was shorter than that of normal skin. Coagulation and inflammation have many components in common and we determined that in resistant bovines, eosinophils and basophils, which are known to contain tissue factor, are recruited in greater numbers to the inflammatory site of tick bites than in susceptible hosts. Finally, we correlated the observed differences in clotting times with the expression profiles of transcripts for putative anti-haemostatic proteins in different developmental stages of R. microplus fed on genetically susceptible and resistant hosts: we determined that transcripts coding for proteins similar to these molecules are overrepresented in salivary glands from nymphs and males fed on susceptible bovines. Our data indicate that ticks are able to modulate their host's local haemostatic reactions. In the resistant phenotype, larger amounts of inflammatory cells are recruited and expression of anti-coagulant molecules is decreased tick salivary glands, features that can hamper the tick's blood meal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanessa Araújo Carvalho
- Departament of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil
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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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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: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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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Liao M, Zhou J, Gong H, Boldbaatar D, Shirafuji R, Battur B, Nishikawa Y, Fujisaki K. Hemalin, a thrombin inhibitor isolated from a midgut cDNA library from the hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2009; 55:164-173. [PMID: 19061894 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2008] [Revised: 11/05/2008] [Accepted: 11/06/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A full-length sequence of a thrombin inhibitor (designated as hemalin) from the midgut of parthenogenetic Haemaphysalis longicornis has been identified. Sequence analysis shows that this gene belongs to the Kunitz-type family, containing two Kunitz domains with high homology to boophilin, the thrombin inhibitor from Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. The recombinant protein expressed in insect cells delayed bovine plasma clotting time and inhibited both thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting and platelet aggregation. A 20-kDa protein was detected from the midgut lysate with antiserum against recombinant hemalin. The gene is expressed at all stages of the tick except for the egg stage, and hemalin mRNA mainly in the midgut of the female adult tick. Real-time PCR analysis shows that this gene has a distinctly high expression level in the rapid bloodsucking period of the larvae, nymphs, and adults. Disruption of the hemalin gene by RNA interference led to a 2-day extension of the tick blood feeding period, and 27.7% of the RNA-treated ticks did not successfully complete the blood feeding. These findings indicate that the newly identified thrombin inhibitor from the midgut of H. longicornis might play an important role in tick blood feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liao
- Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Frontier Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
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Mans BJ, Andersen JF, Schwan TG, Ribeiro JMC. Characterization of anti-hemostatic factors in the argasid, Argas monolakensis: implications for the evolution of blood-feeding in the soft tick family. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2008; 38:22-41. [PMID: 18070663 PMCID: PMC4274796 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2007.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2007] [Revised: 09/11/2007] [Accepted: 09/18/2007] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
To date, the only anti-hemostatic factors characterized for softs ticks are for Ornithodoros moubata and Ornithodoros savignyi, ticks that feeds mainly on mammals. This includes thrombin (ornithodorin and savignin), fXa (TAP and fXaI) and platelet aggregation (disagegin and savignygrin) inhibitors that belong to the BPTI-Kunitz protein family. This raises the question on how well anti-hemostatic factors will be conserved in other soft tick genera that feeds on other vertebrates such as birds. We characterized the anti-hemostatic factors from Argas monolakensis, a soft tick that feeds mainly on Californian gulls. The main anti-clotting factor (monobin) is an ortholog of ornithodorin and savignin and shows similar slow tight-binding kinetics. The main anti-platelet activities are apyrase and fibrinogen receptor antagonists (monogrins). The monogrins are orthologs of disagregin and savignygrin and like savignygrin presents the RGD integrin-recognition motif on the BPTI substrate-binding presenting loop. This implies that the anti-hemostatic factors evolved in the ancestral soft tick lineage and has been maintained in soft tick species from two distinct genera with different host preferences. The Argas derived anti-hemostatic factors bind to mammalian targets with affinities similar to that observed for their orthologs in the Ornithodoros genus. This cross-reactivity could have facilitated the switching of soft ticks from avian to mammalian hosts and can explain in part the ability of Argas ticks, to feed on humans, thereby remaining a possible health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Mans
- Laboratory for Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
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Gao J, Luo J, Li Y, Fan R, Zhao H, Guan G, Liu J, Wiske B, Sugimoto C, Yin H. Cloning and characterization of a ribosomal protein L23a from Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis eggs by immuno screening of a cDNA expression library. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2007; 41:289-303. [PMID: 17406794 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-007-9065-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2006] [Accepted: 03/04/2007] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
A primary cDNA library with a size of 1.34 x 10(6) PFU was constructed from Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis eggs and was immunoscreened with rabbit anti-H. qinghaiensis serum. One clone (Hq22, named following those clones obtained from adult Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis cDNA library which we constructed before) screened from the cDNA library was selected randomly for sequencing. The entire sequence of the clone was subsequently obtained using rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE). A search of the cloned sequence against GenBank revealed that it related to ribosomal protein L23a (Rpl23a) and had a high percentage similarity to this protein from different species. Conserved domains for Rpl23a were also identified in the cloned sequence. Expression analysis by RT-PCR showed that this gene is expressed in salivary glands, midguts, other tissues and different developmental stages of H. qinghaiensis. Based on the H. qinghaiensis Rpl23a sequence, open reading frames (ORF) of Rpl23a of Heamaphysalis longicornis and Boophilus microplus were also cloned and were performed for comparison with Rpl23a of H. qinghaiensis and other organisms as well. Vaccine based on Rpl23a recombinant protein cannot protect sheep against H. qinghaiensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinliang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzho, 730046, China
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Ricci CG, Pinto AFM, Berger M, Termignoni C. A thrombin inhibitor from the gut of Boophilus microplus ticks. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2007; 42:291-300. [PMID: 17710557 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-007-9097-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2006] [Accepted: 08/07/2007] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
A thrombin inhibitor was identified for the first time in the gut of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus. Here we present the partial purification and characterization of this new molecule, which was purified from the gut extract by three chromatographic steps: ion-exchange, gel filtration and affinity chromatography in a thrombin-Sepharose resin. In SDS-PAGE the inhibitor showed an apparent molecular mass of circa 26 kDa, which is different from the two thrombin inhibitors present in the saliva of this tick. The new inhibitor delays bovine plasma clotting time and inhibits both thrombin induced fibrinogen clotting and thrombin induced platelet aggregation. However, it does not interfere with thrombin amidolytic activity upon a small substrate (H-D-Phe-Pip-Arg-para-nitroanilide), which does not require binding to thrombin exosites. Therefore, the inhibitor does not block thrombin active site, although it must interfere with one of the thrombin exosites. B. microplus gut thrombin inhibitor (BmGTI) is also capable of enhancing activated protein C (APC) activity upon its specific substrate (H-D-Glu-Pro-Arg-para-nitroanilide), an activity never described before among B. microplus molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisse Gravina Ricci
- Centro de Biotecnologia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 15005, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
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