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Maritz-Olivier C, Ferreira M, Olivier NA, Crafford J, Stutzer C. Mining gene expression data for rational identification of novel drug targets and vaccine candidates against the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus. Exp Appl Acarol 2023; 91:291-317. [PMID: 37755526 PMCID: PMC10562289 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00838-8] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Control of complex parasites via vaccination remains challenging, with the current combination of vaccines and small drugs remaining the choice for an integrated control strategy. Studies conducted to date, are providing evidence that multicomponent vaccines will be needed for the development of protective vaccines against endo- and ectoparasites, though multicomponent vaccines require an in-depth understanding of parasite biology which remains insufficient for ticks. With the rapid development and spread of acaricide resistance in ticks, new targets for acaricide development also remains to be identified, along with novel targets that can be exploited for the design of lead compounds. In this study, we analysed the differential gene expression of Rhipicephalus microplus ticks that were fed on cattle vaccinated with a multi-component vaccine (Bm86 and 3 putative Bm86-binding proteins). The data was scrutinised for the identification of vaccine targets, small drug targets and novel pathways that can be evaluated in future studies. Limitations associated with targeting novel proteins for vaccine and/or drug design is also discussed and placed into the context of challenges arising when targeting large protein families and intracellular localised proteins. Lastly, this study provide insight into how Bm86-based vaccines may reduce successful uptake and digestion of the bloodmeal and overall tick fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Maritz-Olivier
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
| | - Mariëtte Ferreira
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Nicholas A Olivier
- DNA Microarray Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jan Crafford
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Christian Stutzer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
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Parizi LF, Githaka NW, Logullo C, Zhou J, Onuma M, Termignoni C, da Silva Vaz I. Universal Tick Vaccines: Candidates and Remaining Challenges. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2031. [PMID: 37370541 DOI: 10.3390/ani13122031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in molecular biology, particularly regarding massively parallel sequencing technologies, have enabled scientists to gain more insight into the physiology of ticks. While there has been progress in identifying tick proteins and the pathways they are involved in, the specificities of tick-host interaction at the molecular level are not yet fully understood. Indeed, the development of effective commercial tick vaccines has been slower than expected. While omics studies have pointed to some potential vaccine immunogens, selecting suitable antigens for a multi-antigenic vaccine is very complex due to the participation of redundant molecules in biological pathways. The expansion of ticks and their pathogens into new territories and exposure to new hosts makes it necessary to evaluate vaccine efficacy in unusual and non-domestic host species. This situation makes ticks and tick-borne diseases an increasing threat to animal and human health globally, demanding an urgent availability of vaccines against multiple tick species and their pathogens. This review discusses the challenges and advancements in the search for universal tick vaccines, including promising new antigen candidates, and indicates future directions in this crucial research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos Logullo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Misao Onuma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90040-060, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91540-000, Brazil
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Duval H, Hüe T. Field efficacy assessment of a vaccine against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis in New-Caledonia. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022; 29:100702. [PMID: 35256127 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100702] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pure European bovine breeding is compromised in South Pacific (i.e. Australia, New Caledonia) due to the impact of acaricide-resistant Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis ticks. Farmers need new solutions to sustainably maintain their activity. An integrated tick control program has been applied for 2 years in herds of European breeds (i.e. Charolais and Limousine cattle breeds) in New Caledonia. A field trial including the use of a vaccine based on a local Bm86 antigen, agropastoral measures and a chemical control of the tick was conducted to assess the possibility to reduce the number of acaricidal treatments. Nine farms including 1400 animals were monitored from July 2017 to June 2020. The year mid2017-mid2018 was the year of initial monitoring in order to get control data related to tick infestation during the seasons and to the number of treatments per herd. Vaccinations began between September and December 2018. Results obtained from mid2019 to mid2020 were then compared to the initial period (mid2017-mid2018) to assess the benefits of the vaccine. The average annual number of acaricide treatments decreased significantly from 7.44 before vaccination to 4.45 during mid2019-mid2020 (p = 0.026). Infestation scores, assessed by tick counts when farmers grouped the cattle to apply acaricides, showed a constant and low infestation level. Nevertheless, farmers were willing to tolerate slightly higher tick loads on vaccinated cattle with less acaricidal treatments compared to unvaccinated and frequently treated cattle. Local cutaneous reactions were recorded at the injection site with 46.6% of all injections evolving into nodules and 1% of injections giving depilation or abscesses. At the end of the trial, all the breeders wish to continue the vaccination and consider that it is now possible to serenely maintain their breed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héloïse Duval
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Animale, Equipe ARBOREAL, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), BP73, 98890 Païta, New Caledonia
| | - Thomas Hüe
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Animale, Equipe ARBOREAL, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), BP73, 98890 Païta, New Caledonia.
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Ndawula C. From Bench to Field: A Guide to Formulating and Evaluating Anti-Tick Vaccines Delving beyond Efficacy to Effectiveness. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9101185. [PMID: 34696291 PMCID: PMC8539545 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9101185] [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] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are ubiquitous blood-sucking ectoparasites capable of transmitting a wide range of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi to animals and humans. Although the use of chemicals (acaricides) is the predominant method of tick-control, there are increasing incidents of acaricide tick resistance. Furthermore, there are concerns over accumulation of acaricide residues in meat, milk and in the environment. Therefore, alternative methods of tick-control have been proposed, of which anti-tick cattle vaccination is regarded as sustainable and user-friendly. Over the years, tremendous progress has been made in identifying and evaluating novel candidate tick vaccines, yet none of them have reached the global market. Until now, Bm86-based vaccines (Gavac™ in Cuba and TickGARDPLUS™ Australia-ceased in 2010) are still the only globally commercialized anti-tick vaccines. In contrast to Bm86, often, the novel candidate anti-tick vaccines show a lower protection efficacy. Why is this so? In response, herein, the potential bottlenecks to formulating efficacious anti-tick vaccines are examined. Aside from Bm86, the effectiveness of other anti-tick vaccines is rarely assessed. So, how can the researchers assess anti-tick vaccine effectiveness before field application? The approaches that are currently used to determine anti-tick vaccine efficacy are re-examined in this review. In addition, a model is proposed to aid in assessing anti-tick vaccine effectiveness. Finally, based on the principles for the development of general veterinary vaccines, a pipeline is proposed to guide in the development of anti-tick vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Ndawula
- National Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 295, Entebbe, Wakiso 256, Uganda;
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute, Vaccinology Research Programme, P.O. Box 5704, Nakyesasa, Wakiso 256, Uganda
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Pereira DFS, Ribeiro HS, Gonçalves AAM, da Silva AV, Lair DF, de Oliveira DS, Boas DFV, Conrado IDSS, Leite JC, Barata LM, Reis PCC, Mariano RMDS, Santos TAP, Coutinho DCO, Gontijo NDF, Araujo RN, Galdino AS, Paes PRDO, Melo MM, Nagem RAP, Dutra WO, Silveira-Lemos DD, Rodrigues DS, Giunchetti RC. Rhipicephalus microplus: An overview of vaccine antigens against the cattle tick. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101828. [PMID: 34628330 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus microplus, popularly known as the cattle tick, is the most important tick of livestock as it is responsible for significant economic losses. The use of chemical acaricides is still the most widely used control method despite its known disadvantages. Vaccination would be a safe alternative for the control of R. microplus and holds advantages over the use of chemical acaricides as it is environmental-friendly and leaves no residues in meat or milk. Two vaccines based on the Bm86 protein were commercialized, TickGARD® and Gavac®, with varying reported efficacies in different countries. The use of other vaccines, such as Tick Vac®, Go-Tick®, and Bovimune Ixovac® have been restricted to some countries. Several other proteins have been analyzed as possible antigens for more effective vaccines against R. microplus, including peptidases, serine proteinase inhibitors, glutathione S-transferases, metalloproteases, and ribosomal proteins, with efficacies ranging from 14% to 96%. Nonetheless, more research is needed to develop safe and efficient tick vaccines, such as the evaluation of the efficacy of antigens against other tick species to verify cross-reactivity and inclusion of additional antigens to promote the blocking of the infection and spreading of tick-borne diseases. This review summarizes the discoveries of candidate antigens for R. microplus tick vaccines as well as the methods used to test their efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Fonseca Soares Pereira
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Helen Silva Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Alice Maia Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Augusto Ventura da Silva
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel Ferreira Lair
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Diana Souza de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Diego Fernandes Vilas Boas
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ingrid Dos Santos Soares Conrado
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Costa Leite
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luccas Miranda Barata
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro Campos Carvalhaes Reis
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Reysla Maria da Silveira Mariano
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thaiza Aline Pereira Santos
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Danielle Carvalho Oliveira Coutinho
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Nelder de Figueiredo Gontijo
- Laboratory of Physiology of Hematophagous Insects, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Nascimento Araujo
- Laboratory of Physiology of Hematophagous Insects, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Biochemistry, Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paulo Ricardo de Oliveira Paes
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marília Martins Melo
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo Alves Pinto Nagem
- Structural Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of biochemistry and immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Walderez Ornelas Dutra
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
- Laboratory of Cell-Cell Interactions, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Martínez Velázquez M, Barragán Álvarez CP, Flores Fernández JM, Lagunes Quintanilla RE, Saines EC, Ramírez Rodríguez PB, Herrera Rodríguez SE, Gutiérrez RH, Ortega AG, Álvarez ÁH. Immunoprotection evaluation of the recombinant N-terminal domain of Cys-loop receptors against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus tick infestation. Parasite 2021; 28:65. [PMID: 34533454 PMCID: PMC8447868 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2021064] [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: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites of cattle and act as vectors for disease-causing microorganisms. Conventional tick control is based on the application of chemical acaricides; however, their uncontrolled use has increased resistant tick populations, as well as food and environmental contamination. Alternative immunological tick control has shown to be partially effective. Therefore, there is a need to characterize novel antigens in order to improve immunological protection. The aim of this work was to evaluate Cys-loop receptors as vaccine candidates. N-terminal domains of a glutamate receptor and of a glycine-like receptor were recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli. Groups of BALB/c mice were independently immunized with four doses of each recombinant protein emulsified with Freund’s adjuvant. Both vaccine candidates were immunogenic in mice as demonstrated by western blot analysis. Next, recombinant proteins were independently formulated with the adjuvant Montanide ISA 50 V2 and evaluated in cattle infested with Rhipicephalus microplus tick larvae. Groups of three European crossbred calves were immunized with three doses of each adjuvanted protein. ELISA test was used to evaluate the IgG immune response elicited against the recombinant proteins. Results showed that vaccine candidates generated a moderate humoral response on vaccinated cattle. Vaccination significantly affected the number of engorged adult female ticks, having no significant effects on tick weight, egg weight and egg fertility values. Vaccine efficacies of 33% and 25% were calculated for the glutamate receptor and the glycine-like receptor, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés Martínez Velázquez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Carla Patricia Barragán Álvarez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - José Miguel Flores Fernández
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Rodolfo Esteban Lagunes Quintanilla
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones en Parasitología Veterinaria-INIFAP, Carretera Federal Cuernavaca Cuautla 8534, Col. Progreso, 62550, Jiutepec, Morelos, México
| | - Edgar Castro Saines
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones en Parasitología Veterinaria-INIFAP, Carretera Federal Cuernavaca Cuautla 8534, Col. Progreso, 62550, Jiutepec, Morelos, México
| | - Patricia Berenice Ramírez Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Sara Elisa Herrera Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Rodolfo Hernández Gutiérrez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Abel Gutiérrez Ortega
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Ángel H Álvarez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, AC, Av. Normalistas 800, Col. Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
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Ortega-Sánchez R, Camacho-Nuez M, Castañeda-Ortiz EJ, Martínez-Benítez MB, Hernández-Silva DJ, Aguilar-Tipacamú G, Mosqueda J. Vaccine efficacy of recombinant BmVDAC on Rhipicephalus microplus fed on Babesia bigemina-infected and uninfected cattle. Vaccine 2020; 38:3618-3625. [PMID: 31928853 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus microplus is the most widely distributed tick worldwide and causes significant economic losses in the livestock industry. It directly affects hosts (especially in large infestations) by feeding on blood and piercing the skin and indirectly affects hosts as a vector of pathogens that cause infectious diseases, such as bovine babesiosis. Current research on the control of ticks is focused on integrated tick control programmes, including vaccination treatment with acaricides and completely blocking pathogen transmission. Our previous studies showed that R. microplus VDAC (BmVDAC) expression is modulated by Babesia bigemina infection. VDAC is a mitochondrial protein with multiple functions in addition to its primary role as a central component of the apoptotic machinery. In this paper, we evaluated BmVDAC as an anti-tick vaccine and its capacity to block the infection of Babesia bigemina in ticks. Our results demonstrate that rBmVDAC is immunogenic and that antibodies specifically recognize the native protein from midguts of R. microplus. Immunization with rBmVDAC afforded an 82% efficacy against R. microplus infestation in the group of vaccinated cattle compared with the control group. In contrast, rBmVDAC showed a lower efficacy of 34% against tick infestation in cattle vaccinated with rBmVDAC, infested with R. microplus and infected with B. bigemina. The main effect on ticks fed in vaccinated and infected cattle was a 34% reduction in egg fertility (DF) compared to ticks fed on the control group. There was no reduction in the B. bigemina parasite levels of ticks fed on rBmVDAC-vaccinated cattle. These results suggest that the rBmVDAC protein could be tested as a vaccine for the control of tick infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyna Ortega-Sánchez
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C.A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Ejido Bolaños, Queretaro Queretaro 76140, Mexico; Maestria en Salud y Producción Animal Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Qro, Mexico
| | - Minerva Camacho-Nuez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, San Lorenzo Núm. 290, esquina Roberto Gayol, colonia del Valle Sur, delegación Benito Juárez, México D.F. C.P. 03100, Mexico.
| | - Elizabeth Jacqueline Castañeda-Ortiz
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, San Lorenzo Núm. 290, esquina Roberto Gayol, colonia del Valle Sur, delegación Benito Juárez, México D.F. C.P. 03100, Mexico
| | - Máximo Berto Martínez-Benítez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, San Lorenzo Núm. 290, esquina Roberto Gayol, colonia del Valle Sur, delegación Benito Juárez, México D.F. C.P. 03100, Mexico
| | - Diego Josimar Hernández-Silva
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C.A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Ejido Bolaños, Queretaro Queretaro 76140, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Aguilar-Tipacamú
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias s/n, Col Juriquilla C.P. 76230, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Juan Mosqueda
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C.A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Ejido Bolaños, Queretaro Queretaro 76140, Mexico; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias s/n, Col Juriquilla C.P. 76230, Queretaro, Mexico.
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Rangel CK, Parizi LF, Sabadin GA, Costa EP, Romeiro NC, Isezaki M, Githaka NW, Seixas A, Logullo C, Konnai S, Ohashi K, da Silva Vaz I. Molecular and structural characterization of novel cystatins from the taiga tick Ixodes persulcatus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:432-441. [PMID: 28174118 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cystatins are cysteine peptidase inhibitors that in ticks mediate processes such as blood feeding and digestion. The ixodid tick Ixodes persulcatus is endemic to the Eurasia, where it is the principal vector of Lyme borreliosis. To date, no I. persulcatus cystatin has been characterized. In the present work, we describe three novel cystatins from I. persulcatus, named JpIpcys2a, JpIpcys2b and JpIpcys2c. In addition, the potential of tick cystatins as cross-protective antigens was evaluated by vaccination of hamsters using BrBmcys2c, a cystatin from Rhipicephalus microplus, against I. persulcatus infestation. Sequence analysis showed that motifs that are characteristic of cystatins type 2 are fully conserved in JpIpcys2b, while mutations are present in both JpIpcys2a and JpIpcys2c. Protein-protein docking simulations further revealed that JpIpcys2a, JpIpcys2b and JpIpcys2c showed conserved binding sites to human cathepsins L, all of them covering the active site cleft. Cystatin transcripts were detected in different I. persulcatus tissues and instars, showing their ubiquitous expression during I. persulcatus development. Serological analysis showed that although hamsters immunized with BrBmcys2c developed a humoral immune response, this response was not adequate to protect against a heterologous challenge with I. persulcatus adult ticks. The lack of cross-protection provided by BrBmcys2c immunization is perhaps linked to the fact that cystatins cluster into multigene protein families that are expressed differentially and exhibit functional redundancy. How to target such small proteins that are secreted in low quantities remains a challenge in the development of suitable anti-tick vaccine antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina K Rangel
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Luís F Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Gabriela A Sabadin
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Evenilton P Costa
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacases, 28035-200, RJ, Brazil
| | - Nelilma C Romeiro
- LICC-Laboratório Integrado de Computação Científica-Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro-Campus Macaé, Macaé, 27901-000, RJ, Brazil
| | - Masayoshi Isezaki
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Naftaly W Githaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Adriana Seixas
- Departamento de Farmacociências, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Brazil
| | - Carlos Logullo
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacases, 28035-200, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Brazil
| | - Satoru Konnai
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Ohashi
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 060-0818, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Brazil.
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Galay RL, Miyata T, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Mochizuki M, Fujisaki K, Tanaka T. Host Immunization with Recombinant Proteins to Screen Antigens for Tick Control. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1404:261-273. [PMID: 27076304 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3389-1_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ticks (Parasitiformes: Ixodida) are known for their obligate blood feeding habit and their role in transmitting pathogens to various vertebrate hosts. Tick control using chemical acaricides is extensively used particularly in livestock management, but several disadvantages arise from resistance development of many tick species, and concerns on animal product and environmental contamination. Vaccination offers better protection and more cost-effective alternative to application of chemical acaricides, addressing their disadvantages. However, an ideal anti-tick vaccine targeting multiple tick species and all the tick stages is still wanting. Here, we describe the procedures involved in the evaluation of a vaccine candidate antigen against ticks at the laboratory level, from the preparation of recombinant proteins, administration to the rabbit host and monitoring of antibody titer, to tick infestation challenge and determination of the effects of immunization to ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remil Linggatong Galay
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Takeshi Miyata
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Division of Molecular Functions of Food, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Masami Mochizuki
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Kozo Fujisaki
- National Agricultural and Food Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
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