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Rodríguez-Mallon A, Encinosa Guzmán PE, Bello Y, Domingos A, Antunes S, Kopacek P, Santos AS, Velez R, Perner J, Ledesma Bravo FL, Frantova H, Erhart J, Rodríguez R, Fuentes A, Diago D, Joglar M, Méndez L, Estrada MP. Efficacy of the Vaccine Candidate Based on the P0 Peptide against Dermacentor nitens and Ixodes ricinus Ticks. Pathogens 2023; 12:1365. [PMID: 38003829 PMCID: PMC10675505 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12111365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The control of ticks through vaccination offers a sustainable alternative to the use of chemicals that cause contamination and the selection of resistant tick strains. However, only a limited number of anti-tick vaccines have reached commercial realization. In this sense, an antigen effective against different tick species is a desirable target for developing such vaccines. A peptide derived from the tick P0 protein (pP0) conjugated to a carrier protein has been demonstrated to be effective against the Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and Amblyomma mixtum tick species. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of this peptide when conjugated to the Bm86 protein against Dermacentor nitens and Ixodes ricinus ticks. An RNAi experiment using P0 dsRNA from I. ricinus showed a dramatic reduction in the feeding of injected female ticks on guinea pigs. In the follow-up vaccination experiments, rabbits were immunized with the pP0-Bm86 conjugate and challenged simultaneously with larvae, nymphs, and the adults of I. ricinus ticks. In the same way, horses were immunized with the pP0-Bm86 conjugate and challenged with D. nitens larva. The pP0-Bm86 conjugate showed efficacies of 63% and 55% against I. ricinus and D. nitens ticks, respectively. These results, combined with previous reports of efficacy for this conjugate, show the promising potential for its development as a broad-spectrum anti-tick vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Rodríguez-Mallon
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 31st Avenue and 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; (P.E.E.G.); (F.L.L.B.); (D.D.); (M.J.); (M.P.E.)
| | - Pedro E. Encinosa Guzmán
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 31st Avenue and 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; (P.E.E.G.); (F.L.L.B.); (D.D.); (M.J.); (M.P.E.)
| | - Yamil Bello
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 31st Avenue and 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; (P.E.E.G.); (F.L.L.B.); (D.D.); (M.J.); (M.P.E.)
| | - Ana Domingos
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.D.); (S.A.)
| | - Sandra Antunes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.D.); (S.A.)
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.K.); (J.P.); (H.F.)
| | - Ana Sofia Santos
- Centro de Estudos de Vetores e Doenças Infeciosas Dr. Francisco Cambournac, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (CEVDI-INSA), 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (A.S.S.); (R.V.)
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Velez
- Centro de Estudos de Vetores e Doenças Infeciosas Dr. Francisco Cambournac, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (CEVDI-INSA), 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (A.S.S.); (R.V.)
| | - Jan Perner
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.K.); (J.P.); (H.F.)
| | - Frank L. Ledesma Bravo
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 31st Avenue and 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; (P.E.E.G.); (F.L.L.B.); (D.D.); (M.J.); (M.P.E.)
| | - Helena Frantova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.K.); (J.P.); (H.F.)
| | - Jan Erhart
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.K.); (J.P.); (H.F.)
| | - Rafmary Rodríguez
- National Laboratory of Parasitology, Avenue San Antonio-Rincón, Km 1 1/2, Artemisa 32500, Cuba; (R.R.); (A.F.)
| | - Alier Fuentes
- National Laboratory of Parasitology, Avenue San Antonio-Rincón, Km 1 1/2, Artemisa 32500, Cuba; (R.R.); (A.F.)
| | - David Diago
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 31st Avenue and 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; (P.E.E.G.); (F.L.L.B.); (D.D.); (M.J.); (M.P.E.)
| | - Marisdania Joglar
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 31st Avenue and 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; (P.E.E.G.); (F.L.L.B.); (D.D.); (M.J.); (M.P.E.)
| | - Luis Méndez
- National Laboratory of Parasitology, Avenue San Antonio-Rincón, Km 1 1/2, Artemisa 32500, Cuba; (R.R.); (A.F.)
| | - Mario Pablo Estrada
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 31st Avenue and 190, Havana 10600, Cuba; (P.E.E.G.); (F.L.L.B.); (D.D.); (M.J.); (M.P.E.)
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Guizzo MG, Dolezelikova K, Neupane S, Frantova H, Hrbatova A, Pafco B, Fiorotti J, Kopacek P, Zurek L. Characterization and manipulation of the bacterial community in the midgut of Ixodes ricinus. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:248. [PMID: 35810301 PMCID: PMC9271250 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05362-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods transmitting a wide range of pathogens to humans and animals. They also harbor a non-pathogenic microbiota, primarily in the ovaries and the midgut. In the previous study on Ixodes ricinus, we used a culture-independent approach and showed a diverse but quantitatively poor midgut bacterial microbiome. Our analysis also revealed the absence of a core microbiome, suggesting an environmental origin of the tick midgut microbiota. Methods A bacterial analysis of the midgut of adult females collected by flagging from two localities in the Czech Republic was performed. Using the culture-independent approach, we tested the hypothesis that the midgut microbiome is of the environmental origin. We also cultured indigenous bacteria from the tick midgut and used these to feed ticks artificially in an attempt to manipulate the midgut microbiome. Results The midgut showed a very low prevalence and abundance of culturable bacteria, with only 37% of ticks positive for bacteria. The culture-independent approach revealed the presence of Borrelia sp., Spiroplasma sp., Rickettsia sp., Midichloria sp. and various mainly environmental Gram-positive bacterial taxa. The comparison of ticks from two regions revealed that the habitat influenced the midgut bacterial diversity. In addition, the midgut of ticks capillary fed with the indigenous Micrococcus luteus (Gram-positive) and Pantoea sp. (Gram-negative) could not be colonized due to rapid and effective clearance of both bacterial taxa. Conclusions The midgut microbiome of I. ricinus is diverse but low in abundance, with the exception of tick-borne pathogens and symbionts. The environment impacts the diversity of the tick midgut microbiome. Ingested extracellular environmental bacteria are rapidly eliminated and are not able to colonize the gut. We hypothesize that bacterial elimination triggered in the midgut of unfed adult females is critical to maintain low microbial levels during blood-feeding. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05362-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristyna Dolezelikova
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Saraswoti Neupane
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Helena Frantova
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Hrbatova
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Pafco
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jessica Fiorotti
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic. .,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic. .,Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Abstract
It has been demonstrated that impairing protein synthesis using drugs targeted against tRNA amino acid synthetases presents a promising strategy for the treatment of a wide variety of parasitic diseases, including malaria and toxoplasmosis. This is the first study evaluating tRNA synthetases as potential drug targets in ticks. RNAi knock-down of all tested tRNA synthetases had a strong deleterious phenotype on Ixodes ricinus feeding. Our data indicate that tRNA synthetases represent attractive, anti-tick targets warranting the design of selective inhibitors. Further, we tested whether these severely impaired ticks were capable of transmitting Borrelia afzelii spirochaetes. Interestingly, biologically handicapped I. ricinus nymphs transmitted B. afzelii in a manner quantitatively sufficient to develop a systemic infection in mice. These data suggest that initial blood-feeding, despite the incapability of ticks to fully feed and salivate, is sufficient for activating B. afzelii from a dormant to an infectious mode, enabling transmission and dissemination in host tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Perner
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Kucera
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Helena Frantova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Urbanova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Sima
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
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Perner J, Hatalova T, Cabello-Donayre M, Urbanova V, Sojka D, Frantova H, Hartmann D, Jirsova D, Pérez-Victoria JM, Kopacek P. Haem-responsive gene transporter enables mobilization of host haem in ticks. Open Biol 2021; 11:210048. [PMID: 34465215 PMCID: PMC8437232 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks, notorious blood-feeders and disease-vectors, have lost a part of their genetic complement encoding haem biosynthetic enzymes and are, therefore, dependent on the acquisition and distribution of host haem. Solute carrier protein SLC48A1, aka haem-responsive gene 1 protein (HRG1), has been implicated in haem transport, regulating the availability of intracellular haem. HRG1 transporter has been identified in both free-living and parasitic organisms ranging from unicellular kinetoplastids, nematodes, up to vertebrates. However, an HRG1 homologue in the arthropod lineage has not yet been identified. We have identified a single HRG1 homologue in the midgut transcriptome of the tick Ixodes ricinus, denoted as IrHRG, and have elucidated its role as a haem transporter. Data from haem biosynthesis-deficient yeast growth assays, systemic RNA interference and the evaluation of gallium protoporphyrin IX-mediated toxicity through tick membrane feeding clearly show that IrHRG is the bona fide tetrapyrrole transporter. We argue that during evolution, ticks profited from retaining a functional hrg1 gene in the genome because its protein product facilitates host haem escort from intracellularly digested haemoglobin, rendering haem bioavailable for a haem-dependent network of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Perner
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - T. Hatalova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - M. Cabello-Donayre
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine ‘López-Neyra’, CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - V. Urbanova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - D. Sojka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - H. Frantova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - D. Hartmann
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - D. Jirsova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - J. M. Pérez-Victoria
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine ‘López-Neyra’, CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - P. Kopacek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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Franta Z, Sojka D, Frantova H, Dvorak J, Horn M, Srba J, Talacko P, Mares M, Schneider E, Craik CS, McKerrow JH, Caffrey CR, Kopacek P. IrCL1 - the haemoglobinolytic cathepsin L of the hard tick, Ixodes ricinus. Int J Parasitol 2011; 41:1253-62. [PMID: 21819989 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2011.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2011] [Revised: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular proteolysis of ingested blood proteins is a crucial physiological process in ticks. In our model tick, Ixodes ricinus, cathepsin L (IrCL1) is part of a gut-associated multi-peptidase complex; its endopeptidase activity is important in the initial phase of haemoglobinolysis. We present the functional and biochemical characterisation of this enzyme. We show, by RNA interference (RNAi), that cathepsin L-like activity that peaks during the slow feeding period of females is associated with IrCL1. Recombinant IrCL1 was expressed in bacteria and yeast. Activity profiling with both peptidyl and physiological protein substrates (haemoglobin and albumin) revealed that IrCL1 is an acidic peptidase with a very low optimum pH (3-4) being unstable above pH 5. This suggests an endo/lysosomal localisation that was confirmed by indirect fluorescence microscopy that immunolocalised IrCL1 inside the vesicles of digestive gut cells. Cleavage specificity determined by a positional scanning synthetic combinatorial library and inhibition profile indicated that IrCL1 has the ligand-binding characteristics of the cathepsin L subfamily of cysteine peptidases. A non-redundant proteolytic function was demonstrated when IrCL1-silenced ticks had a decreased ability to feed compared with controls. The data suggest that IrCL1 may be a promising target against ticks and tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdenek Franta
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice, CZ 37005, Czech Republic
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