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Cano-Argüelles AL, Pérez-Sánchez R, Oleaga A. A microRNA profile of the saliva in the argasid ticks Ornithodoros erraticus and Ornithodoros moubata and prediction of specific target genes. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102249. [PMID: 37689036 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Ornithodoros erraticus and Ornithodoros moubata ticks are the main vectors of the agents of human relapsing fever (TBRF) and African swine fever (ASF) in the Mediterranean Basin and Africa, respectively. Tick saliva is crucial for complete tick feeding and pathogen transmission, as it contains numerous molecules such as proteins, lipids, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) including microRNAs (miRNA). MiRNAs are small ncRNAs capable of regulating the expression of their target messenger RNA (mRNA) leading to degradation or inhibition of its translation into protein. Research on miRNAs from ixodid ticks has revealed that miRNAs are involved in the regulation of different physiological processes of ticks, as well as in the modulation of host gene expression, immune response to tick bite and pathogen transmission. Regarding argasid ticks, there is not information about their miRNAs or their potential involvement in tick physiology and/or in the regulation of the tick-host-pathogen interactions. The aim of this work was to profile the miRNAs expressed in the saliva of O. erraticus and O. moubata, and the in silico prediction and functional analysis of their target genes in the swine host. As a whole, up to 72 conserved miRNAs families were identified in both species: 35 of them were shared and 23 and 14 families were unique to O. erraticus and O. moubata, respectively. The most abundant miRNAs families were mir-1, mir-10 and let-7 in O. erraticus and let-7, mir-252, mir-10 in O. moubata. Four miRNAs sequences of each species were validated by RT-qPCR confirming their presence in the saliva. Target gene prediction in the host (Sus scrofa) and functional analysis showed that the selected miRNAs are mainly involved in processes related to signal transduction, regulation of mRNA transcription and gene expression, synapse regulation, immune response, angiogenesis and vascular development. These results suggest that miRNAs could play an important role at the tick-host interface, providing new insights into this complex relationship that may contribute to a more precise selection of tick molecules for the development of therapeutic and immune strategies to control tick infestations and tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Cano-Argüelles
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, Salamanca 37008, Spain.
| | - Ricardo Pérez-Sánchez
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, Salamanca 37008, Spain
| | - Ana Oleaga
- Parasitología Animal, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, Salamanca 37008, Spain.
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Xiang Y, Zhou J, Yu F, Zhang Y, Li S, Hu Y, Liang W, Liu Q. Characterization of bacterial communities in ticks parasitizing cattle in a touristic location in southwestern China. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023:10.1007/s10493-023-00799-y. [PMID: 37285110 PMCID: PMC10293413 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00799-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate tick species around Mount Fanjing and analyze bacterial communities in two species - Rhipicephalus microplus and Haemaphysalis longicornis - parasitizing cattle in Tongren, Guizhou province, Southwest China, using high-throughput sequencing methods. In April 2019, ticks were collected from five sites in Jiangkou County, Yinjiang County, and Songtao County. In total, 296 ticks were collected, comprising two genera and three species: H. longicornis, Haemaphysalis flava, and R. microplus. Rhipicephalus microplus was the most representative species (57.4%) within the collected group, being the dominant species in Tongren City, followed by H. longicornis (39.5%) and H. flava (3.0%). Beta-diversity analysis revealed differences in bacterial community composition among the tick species. The bacterial community structure of R. microplus collected in the three counties was highly similar. Chlorella and Bacillus were highly abundant in H. longicornis. Rickettsia was detected at high relative abundance in R. microplus but in low relative abundance in H. longicornis, suggesting that Rickettsia is more associated with R. microplus than with H. longicornis. More in-depth investigations are needed to determine the pathogenic risk of Rickettsia and its relationship with the host. This is the first survey on tick-borne bacterial communities in this area, which is of great significance for the prevention and control of tick-borne diseases locally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Xiang
- Guizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550004, China
- School of Public Health, the key Laboratory of Environmental Polution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Jingzhu Zhou
- Guizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550004, China
| | - Fuxun Yu
- Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- School of Public Health, the key Laboratory of Environmental Polution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Shijun Li
- Guizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550004, China
| | - Yong Hu
- School of Public Health, the key Laboratory of Environmental Polution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Wenqin Liang
- Guizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550004, China.
- School of Public Health, the key Laboratory of Environmental Polution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China.
| | - Qiyong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China.
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Regulation of vtg and VtgR in mud crab Scylla paramamosain by miR-34. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:7367-7376. [PMID: 35715603 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07530-x] [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: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vitellogenin (Vtg) is the precursor of major yolk protein and plays a crucial role in the maturation of oocytes and the production of eggs in oviparous animals. Vitellogenin receptor (VtgR) mediates the transport of Vtg explicitly to oocytes in the membrane. In a previous study, we found that miR-34 can regulate the expression of some eyestalk genes and affect reproduction in mud crab Scylla paramamosain, one of the most important economic crabs on the coasts of southern China. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, firstly, we found that miR-34 can target at 3'-UTR of Vtg and VtgR genes by using bioinformatic tools and predicted miR-34 might depress the expression of Vtg and VtgR. Secondly, the relative luciferase activity of HEK293T cells co-transfected with miRNA mimic and pmir-RB-REPORTTM-Vtg/VtgR-3'UTR was significantly lower than those of cells co-transfected with mimic NC and pmir-RB-REPORTTM-Vtg/VtgR-3'UTR. Finally, in vivo experiments showed that agomiR-34 could repress the expression of Vtg and VtgR genes, while Antigomir-34 could promote the expression of these two genes. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm our hypothesis and previous published results that miR-34 may indirectly regulate ovarian development by binding to the 3'-UTR of Vtg and VtgR genes and inhibiting their expression.
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Zhong Z, Zhong T, Peng Y, Zhou X, Wang Z, Tang H, Wang J. Symbiont-regulated serotonin biosynthesis modulates tick feeding activity. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:1545-1557.e4. [PMID: 34525331 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods. Blood feeding ensures that ticks obtain nutrients essential for their survival, development, and reproduction while providing routes for pathogen transmission. However, the effectors that determine tick feeding activities remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that reduced abundance of the symbiont Coxiella (CHI) in Haemaphysalis longicornis decreases blood intake. Providing tetracycline-treated ticks with the CHI-derived tryptophan precursor chorismate, tryptophan, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) restores the feeding defect. Mechanistically, CHI-derived chorismate increases tick 5-HT biosynthesis by stimulating the expression of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD), which catalyzes the decarboxylation of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) to 5-HT. The increased level of 5-HT in the synganglion and midgut promotes tick feeding. Inhibition of CHI chorismate biosynthesis by treating the colonized tick with the herbicide glyphosate suppresses blood-feeding behavior. Taken together, our results demonstrate an important function of the endosymbiont Coxiella in the regulation of tick 5-HT biosynthesis and feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Ting Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Yeqing Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China; Zhongshan Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute, Metabonomics and Systems Biology Laboratory at Shanghai International Centre for Molecular Phenomics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhou
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Zhiqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Huiru Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China; Zhongshan Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute, Metabonomics and Systems Biology Laboratory at Shanghai International Centre for Molecular Phenomics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Jingwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China.
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