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Kabi F, Contreras M, Semakula J, Sánchez-Sánchez M, Muñoz-Hernández C, Mugerwa S, Kasaija P, Kirunda H, de la Fuente G, Fernández-Melgar R, Rafael M, Fernández de Mera IG, Matovu M, Kyakuwa I, Dhikusooka M, Nsereko G, Boma P, Bugeza J, Moses M, Namukasa A, Obonyo P, Ssekabunga N, Adyero OE, Rutaisire J, Gortazar C, de la Fuente J. Evaluation of effectiveness and safety of Subolesin anti-tick vaccine in Ugandan multi-site field trial. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:174. [PMID: 39294184 PMCID: PMC11410822 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00966-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Vaccines are the most effective and sustainable intervention to control ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBD). Using a personalized vaccine design based on regional tick genotypes, a Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Subolesin protective antigen was used in a field trial evaluating tick vaccine efficacy, effectiveness, and safety in cattle infested with multiple tick species in different Ugandan agro-ecological zones. Vaccination with SUB was safe with a protective capacity against anemia and infection, and reduced the number of infested cattle, tick fitness (feeding and reproduction) with vaccine effectiveness against multiple tick species between 93.2% at 167-196 days post-vaccination (dpv) and 61.4% at 251-327 dpv. Total integrated vaccine efficacy/effectiveness was estimated as 98.8%. The Subolesin-based vaccine is protective against multiple cattle tick infestations under field conditions in Uganda. These results support registration and commercialization of the vaccine to reduce tick populations and associated risks for human and animal TBD and chemical acaracides in Uganda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Kabi
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Marinela Contreras
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Jimmy Semakula
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Marta Sánchez-Sánchez
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Clara Muñoz-Hernández
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Swidiq Mugerwa
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Paul Kasaija
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Halid Kirunda
- Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mbarara ZARDI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Mbarara City, Uganda
| | - Gabriela de la Fuente
- Sabiotec, Edificio incubadora de empresas UCLM, Camino de Moledores s/n, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rubén Fernández-Melgar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
- Sabiotec, Edificio incubadora de empresas UCLM, Camino de Moledores s/n, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Marta Rafael
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
- Sabiotec, Edificio incubadora de empresas UCLM, Camino de Moledores s/n, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Isabel G Fernández de Mera
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Moses Matovu
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ivan Kyakuwa
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses Dhikusooka
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Godfrey Nsereko
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Paul Boma
- Nabuin ZARDI, 9HQG+5R7 Lorengdwat road, Lorengedwat, Uganda
| | - James Bugeza
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Mwesigwa Moses
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Philip Obonyo
- Uganda government prison farm, 3FJ7+PCH, Kiburara, Uganda
| | - Nicholas Ssekabunga
- Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mbarara ZARDI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Mbarara City, Uganda
| | | | - Justus Rutaisire
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Christian Gortazar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain.
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
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Costa GCA, Ribeiro ICT, Giunchetti RC, Gontijo NF, Sant'Anna MRV, Pereira MH, Pessoa GCD, Koerich LB, Oliveira F, Valenzuela JG, Fujiwara RT, Bartholomeu DC, Araujo RN. Gut membrane proteins as candidate antigens for immunization of mice against the tick Amblyomma sculptum. Vaccine 2024; 42:126141. [PMID: 39033080 PMCID: PMC11346513 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Amblyomma sculptum is widely distributed in Brazil and is the main vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of the Brazilian spotted fever (BSF). Tick gut proteins play an essential role in blood feeding, digestion, and protection of gut epithelium. Therefore, many of these were investigated as potential vaccine targets for tick-control strategies. The present study aimed to select transcripts corresponding to putative immunogenic proteins in the A. sculptum gut epithelial membrane, produce recombinant proteins and evaluate them as antigens against A. sculptum infestations. Three gut proteins - AsMucin, AsAPP, and AsLAMP - and a chimeric protein (rAsChimera) based on 22 peptides containing putative B cell epitopes from seven different gut proteins were evaluated as anti-A. sculptum antigens. Mice immunizations revealed that all recombinant targets elicited humoral response with significantly increased IgG levels compared to controls. For rAsChimera, IgG levels remained significantly higher than controls up to 75 days after the end of the immunization. Challenge trials revealed that vaccination with the chimeric protein was the most effective against A. sculptum, inducing 100 % nymph mortality and reaching 80.8 % efficacy against females. The other three proteins did not induce relevant protection, as AsAPP had only 26.6 % efficacy, whereas AsMucin and AsLAMP induced no protection. These data indicate that targeting gut protein immunogenic regions may be an effective strategy for a vaccine formulation againstA. sculptum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel C A Costa
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Izabela C T Ribeiro
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo C Giunchetti
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte,Brazil
| | - Nelder F Gontijo
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mauricio R V Sant'Anna
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos H Pereira
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Grasielle C D Pessoa
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo B Koerich
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fabiano Oliveira
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Jesus G Valenzuela
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Ricardo T Fujiwara
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Daniella C Bartholomeu
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ricardo N Araujo
- Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Johnson EE, Hart TM, Fikrig E. Vaccination to Prevent Lyme Disease: A Movement Towards Anti-Tick Approaches. J Infect Dis 2024; 230:S82-S86. [PMID: 39140718 PMCID: PMC11322886 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by Ixodes spp ticks. The rise in Lyme disease cases since its discovery in the 1970s has reinforced the need for a vaccine. A vaccine based on B burgdorferi outer surface protein A (OspA) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) several decades ago, but was pulled from the market a few years later, reportedly due to poor sales, despite multiple organizations concluding that it was safe and effective. Newer OspA-based vaccines are being developed and are likely to be available in the coming years. More recently, there has been a push to develop vaccines that target the tick vector instead of the pathogen to inhibit tick feeding and thus prevent transmission of tick-borne pathogens to humans and wildlife reservoirs. This review outlines the history of Lyme disease vaccines and this movement to anti-tick vaccine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E Johnson
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Thomas M Hart
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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de Albuquerque PMM, Kotál J, Juliano MA, Tirloni L, da Silva Vaz I. In vitro identification of neutralizing epitopes of Rhipicephalus microplus serpin 17 (RmS-17). Vaccine 2024; 42:126161. [PMID: 39060200 PMCID: PMC11456362 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhipicephalus microplus poses a significant problem for livestock worldwide and is primarily controlled with synthetic acaricides. The continuous use of acaricides results in the selection of resistance and causes environmental harm. Vaccination presents an alternative solution to this problem, although searching for the suitable antigen is still a work in progress. Salivary proteins hold promise for inclusion in vaccine formulation due to their roles in modulating host responses, assisting blood feeding and pathogen transmission. Serpins are a class of proteinase inhibitors and are among the molecules found in tick saliva that modulate host blood coagulation, inflammation, and adaptive immune responses. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of R. microplus serpin 17 (RmS-17) to interfere with the host's defenses, and antibodies have been shown to neutralize its effects. This makes RmS-17 an putative target for vaccine development. METHODS Epitope mapping of RmS-17 was achieved using in silico approach combining linear B-cell epitope and antigenicity predictor. In addition, epitope mapping using overlapping peptides in an ELISA screening was used. The serpin tridimensional structure and the epitopes spatial location within the molecule were determined. Peptides were synthetized based on the predictions and used for the production of rabbit anti-sera. Purified IgG's were used to assess the antibodies capacity to neutralize RmS-17. RESULTS Through in silico mapping, nine potential B cell epitope regions were screened, with p1RmS-17 and p2RmS-17 selected for the experiment based on antigen prediction. In the ELISA screening using overlapping peptides, eight antibody-binding regions were identified, and p3RmS-17 and p4RmS-17 were chosen. Antibodies raised against p3RmS-17 and p4RmS-17 partially neutralized RmS-17 activity. CONCLUSION It was found that antibodies against a single epitope are sufficient to partially neutralize RmS-17 activity. These findings support the possibility of using an epitope-based vaccine for immunization against R. microplus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Machado Medeiros de Albuquerque
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), RS, Brazil; Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Jan Kotál
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | | | - Lucas Tirloni
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), RS, Brazil; Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Zeb I, Parizi LF, Israr M, da Silva Vaz I, Ali A. Cross-species immunoprotective antigens (subolesin, ferritin 2 and P0) provide protection against Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:3. [PMID: 38172894 PMCID: PMC10765945 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06079-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick control is mostly hampered by the rise of acaricide-resistant tick populations. Significant efforts have focused on developing alternative control methods, including cross-species protective and/or cocktail-based anti-tick vaccines, to achieve protection against various tick species. METHODS In this study, full-length open reading frames encoding subolesin (SUB) from Rhipicephalus microplus and ferritin 2 (FER2) from Hyalomma anatolicum as well as the partial 60S acidic ribosomal protein (P0) from R. microplus were cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and used as vaccine antigens against Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (R. sanguineus s.l.) infestation in rabbits. RESULTS In silico analyses revealed that the SUB, P0 and FER2 proteins were antigenic and displayed limited similarity to the host's homologous proteins. The proteins shared identities of 97.5%, 100% and 89.5% with their SUB, P0 and FER2 R. sanguineus s.l. orthologous sequences, respectively. Antibodies against each recombinant protein cross-recognized the native proteins in the different tissues and developmental stages of R. sanguineus s.l. Overall efficacy of the SUB, FER2 and cocktail (SUB+FER2+P0) vaccines against R. sanguineus s.l. infestation was 86.3%, 95.9% and 90.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Both mono-antigen and the cocktail anti-tick vaccines affected the biological parameters of R. sanguineus s.l. infestation in the rabbit model, which could be extrapolated to its infested host under natural conditions. These findings support the possibility of using mono-antigenic and cocktail-based vaccines for large-scale anti-tick vaccine development against multiple tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Zeb
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
| | - Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia and Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus do Vale, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | | | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia and Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus do Vale, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
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Coate R, Alonso-Díaz MÁ, Martínez-Velázquez M, Castro-Saines E, Hernández-Ortiz R, Lagunes-Quintanilla R. Testing Efficacy of a Conserved Polypeptide from the Bm86 Protein against Rhipicephalus microplus in the Mexican Tropics. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1267. [PMID: 37515082 PMCID: PMC10383145 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhipicephalus microplus economically impacts cattle production in tropical and subtropical countries. Application of acaricides constitutes the major control method; however, inadequate use has increased resistant tick populations, resulting in environmental and cattle product contamination. Anti-tick vaccines based on the Bm86 antigen are an environmentally friendly, safe, and economically sustainable alternative for controlling R. microplus infestations. Nevertheless, variable efficacy has been experienced against different geographic tick strains. Herein, we evaluated the efficacy of a conserved polypeptide Bm86 derived from a Mexican R. microplus strain previously characterized. Twelve cows were assigned to three experimental groups and immunized with three doses of the polypeptide Bm86 (pBm86), adjuvant/saline alone, and Bm86 antigen (control +), respectively. Specific IgG antibody levels were measured by ELISA and confirmed by Western blot. In addition, the reproductive performance of naturally infested R. microplus was also determined. The more affected parameter was the adult female tick number, with a reduction of 44% by the pBm86 compared to the controls (p < 0.05), showing a vaccine efficacy of 58%. Anti-pBm86 IgG antibodies were immunogenic and capable of recognizing the native Bm86 protein in the eggs, larvae, and guts of R. microplus. The negative correlation between antibody levels and the reduction of naturally tick-infested cattle suggested that the effect of the polypeptide Bm86 was attributed to the antibody response in immunized cattle. In conclusion, the polypeptide Bm86 showed a specific immune response in cattle and conferred protection against R. microplus in a Mexican tropical region. These findings support further experiments with this antigen to demonstrate its effectiveness as a regional vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymundo Coate
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Miguel Ángel Alonso-Díaz
- Centro de Enseñanza, Investigación y Extensión en Ganadería Tropical, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Km. 5.5 Carretera Federal Tlapacoyan-Martínez de La Torre, Martínez de La Torre 93600, Mexico
| | - Moisés Martínez-Velázquez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, A.C, Avenida Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara 44270, Mexico
| | - Edgar Castro-Saines
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad-INIFAP, Carretera Federal Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec 62550, Mexico
| | - Rubén Hernández-Ortiz
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad-INIFAP, Carretera Federal Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec 62550, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Lagunes-Quintanilla
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad-INIFAP, Carretera Federal Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec 62550, Mexico
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Zamiti S, Mhadhbi M, Dhibi M, Darghouth MA, Ben Said M. Development and field evaluation of PCR assays based on minimum length Bm86 cDNA fragments required for Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma tick species delineation. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1209210. [PMID: 37456966 PMCID: PMC10340088 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1209210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus ticks are important genera that can transmit diseases to both animals and humans, including Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, tick-borne encephalitis, and several types of spotted fever. The accurate identification of tick species is essential for the effective control and prevention of tick-borne diseases. However, traditional identification methods based on morphology can be challenging and subjective, leading to errors. The development of DNA markers has provided more precise and efficient methods for tick species identification, but the currently available markers have limitations in their discriminatory power and sensitivity. To address this need for more sensitive and specific markers, this study aimed to identify two minimum sequence fragments required for tick Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus species identification using the Bm86 cDNA marker, which has previously been shown to be in perfect agreement with the current taxonomy of hard ticks based on its complete sequence. Methods Based on our in silico determination that a minimum sequence of 398 bp for Rhipicephalus spp. (from 1487 to 1884) and 559 bp for Hyalomma species (from 539 to 1097) was necessary for species delineation, two distinct PCR assays were developed to apply these sequences in practice. Results and discussion Discrimination between species within each genus was achieved through sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis following the sequencing of the two PCR products. Subsequently, their performance was evaluated by testing them on the field-collected ticks of the Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus genera obtained from various host animals in different geographic regions of Tunisia. The use of shorter partial sequences specific to the tick genera Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma, which target the tick's RNA banks, could represent a significant advance in the field of tick species identification, providing a sensitive and discriminatory tool for interspecific and intraspecific diversity analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayed Zamiti
- Laboratory of Parasitology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Moez Mhadhbi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Mokhtar Dhibi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Aziz Darghouth
- Laboratory of Parasitology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Mourad Ben Said
- Laboratory of Parasitology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
- Department of Basic Sciences, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
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