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Dedavid E Silva LA, Parizi LF, Molossi FA, Driemeier D, da Silva Vaz Junior I. Rhipicephalus microplus thyropin-like protein: Structural and immunologic analyzes. Vet Parasitol 2024; 327:110136. [PMID: 38290194 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110136] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Tick saliva has a pivotal function in parasitism. It has pharmacological and immunomodulatory properties, with several proteins reported in its composition. Thyroglobulin type-1 domain protease inhibitor (thyropin)-like proteins are found in tick saliva, but their function, properties and structures are poorly characterized. It has been reported that thyropins are capable of inhibiting cysteine peptidases present in antigen-presenting cells. To elucidate the role of thyropin-like proteins in ticks, we conducted in silico analysis and cloned an open reading frame from a thyropin-like protein found in Rhipicephalus microplus. The recombinant protein was successfully expressed, followed by immunological characterization and a vaccine trial against Rhipicephalus sanguineus in rabbits. Several differences are observed between thyropin-like proteins from hard and soft ticks, especially the number of thyroglobulin domains and predicted glycosylation pattern. Thyropin-like proteins also differ between postriata and metastriata ticks, the latter having a coil-domain at the C-terminal region and high number of predicted glycosylation sites. Overall, the data suggested divergence in thyropin-like proteins functions among ticks. The recombinant thyropin-like protein is immunogenic and the antibodies against it are able to recognize the native protein in tick saliva and tissues. While the recombinant protein does not elicit a protective response against R. sanguineus infestation, its characterization paves the way for further investigations aimed at determining the precise function of this protein in tick physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Andre Dedavid E Silva
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Franciéli Adriane Molossi
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
| | - David Driemeier
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil.
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da Silva Vaz Junior I, Lu S, Pinto AFM, Diedrich JK, Yates JR, Mulenga A, Termignoni C, Ribeiro JM, Tirloni L. Changes in saliva protein profile throughout Rhipicephalus microplus blood feeding. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:36. [PMID: 38281054 PMCID: PMC10821567 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06136-5] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND When feeding on a vertebrate host, ticks secrete saliva, which is a complex mixture of proteins, lipids, and other molecules. Tick saliva assists the vector in modulating host hemostasis, immunity, and tissue repair mechanisms. While helping the vector to feed, its saliva modifies the site where pathogens are inoculated and often facilitates the infection process. The objective of this study is to uncover the variation in protein composition of Rhipicephalus microplus saliva during blood feeding. METHODS Ticks were fed on calves, and adult females were collected, weighed, and divided in nine weight groups, representing the slow and rapid feeding phases of blood feeding. Tick saliva was collected, and mass spectrometry analyses were used to identify differentially secreted proteins. Bioinformatic tools were employed to predict the structural and functional features of the salivary proteins. Reciprocal best hit analyses were used to identify conserved families of salivary proteins secreted by other tick species. RESULTS Changes in the protein secretion profiles of R. microplus adult female saliva during the blood feeding were observed, characterizing the phenomenon known as "sialome switching." This observation validates the idea that the switch in protein expression may serve as a mechanism for evading host responses against tick feeding. Cattle tick saliva is predominantly rich in heme-binding proteins, secreted conserved proteins, lipocalins, and protease inhibitors, many of which are conserved and present in the saliva of other tick species. Additionally, another remarkable observation was the identification of host-derived proteins as a component of tick saliva. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study brings new insights to understanding the dynamics of the proteomic profile of tick saliva, which is an important component of tick feeding biology. The results presented here, along with the disclosed sequences, contribute to our understanding of tick feeding biology and might aid in the identification of new targets for the development of novel anti-tick methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Stephen Lu
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Antônio F M Pinto
- Clayton Foundation Peptide Biology Lab, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jolene K Diedrich
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - José Marcos Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA.
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Li Z, McComic S, Chen R, Kim WTH, Gaithuma AK, Mooney B, Macaluso KR, Mulenga A, Swale DR. ATP-sensitive inward rectifier potassium channels regulate secretion of pro-feeding salivary proteins in the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126545. [PMID: 37652342 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126545] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the physiological and molecular regulation of tick feeding is necessary for developing intervention strategies to curb disease transmission by ticks. Pharmacological activation of ATP-gated inward rectifier potassium (KATP) channels reduced fluid secretion from isolated salivary gland and blood feeding in the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, yet the temporal expression pattern of KATP channel proteins remained unknown. KATP channels were highly expressed in type II and III acini in off-host stage and early feeding phase ticks, yet expression was reduced in later stages of feeding. We next assessed KATP channel regulation of the secreted proteome of tick saliva. LC-MS/MS analysis identified 40 differentially secreted tick saliva proteins after exposure to KATP activators or inhibitors. Secretion of previously validated tick saliva proteins that promote tick feeding, AV422, AAS27, and AAS41 were significantly reduced by upwards of 8 log units in ticks exposed to KATP channel activators when compared to untreated ticks. Importantly, activation of KATP channels inhibited tick feeding and vice versa for KATP channel inhibitors. Data indicate KATP channels regulate tick feeding biology by controlling secretion of pro-feeding proteins that are essential during early feeding phases, which provides insights into physiological and molecular regulation of tick feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Li
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America; Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Sarah McComic
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Rui Chen
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - William Tae Heung Kim
- Department of Veterinary pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Alex Kiarie Gaithuma
- Department of Veterinary pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Brian Mooney
- Department of Biochemistry, Charles W Gehrlke Proteomics Center, University of Missouri, MO, USA
| | - Kevin R Macaluso
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Daniel R Swale
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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Dhivahar J, Parthasarathy A, Krishnan K, Kovi BS, Pandian GN. Bat-associated microbes: Opportunities and perils, an overview. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22351. [PMID: 38125540 PMCID: PMC10730444 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22351] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential biotechnological uses of bat-associated bacteria are discussed briefly, indicating avenues for biotechnological applications of bat-associated microbes. The uniqueness of bats in terms of their lifestyle, genomes and molecular immunology may predispose bats to act as disease reservoirs. Molecular phylogenetic analysis has shown several instances of bats harbouring the ancestral lineages of bacterial (Bartonella), protozoal (Plasmodium, Trypanosoma cruzi) and viral (SARS-CoV2) pathogens infecting humans. Along with the transmission of viruses from bats, we also discuss the potential roles of bat-associated bacteria, fungi, and protozoan parasites in emerging diseases. Current evidence suggests that environmental changes and interactions between wildlife, livestock, and humans contribute to the spill-over of infectious agents from bats to other hosts. Domestic animals including livestock may act as intermediate amplifying hosts for bat-origin pathogens to transmit to humans. An increasing number of studies investigating bat pathogen diversity and infection dynamics have been published. However, whether or how these infectious agents are transmitted both within bat populations and to other hosts, including humans, often remains unknown. Metagenomic approaches are uncovering the dynamics and distribution of potential pathogens in bat microbiomes, which might improve the understanding of disease emergence and transmission. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on bat zoonoses of public health concern and flag the gaps in the knowledge to enable further research and allocation of resources for tackling future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Dhivahar
- Research Department of Zoology, St. Johns College, Palayamkottai, 627002, India
- Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Loyola College, Chennai, 600034, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Virology, University of Madras, Chennai, 600025, India
| | - Anutthaman Parthasarathy
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Richmond Building, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Kathiravan Krishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Virology, University of Madras, Chennai, 600025, India
| | - Basavaraj S. Kovi
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Yoshida Ushinomiyacho, 69, Sakyo Ward, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ganesh N. Pandian
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Yoshida Ushinomiyacho, 69, Sakyo Ward, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan
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Bencosme-Cuevas E, Kim TK, Nguyen TT, Berry J, Li J, Adams LG, Smith LA, Batool SA, Swale DR, Kaufmann SHE, Jones-Hall Y, Mulenga A. Ixodes scapularis nymph saliva protein blocks host inflammation and complement-mediated killing of Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1253670. [PMID: 37965264 PMCID: PMC10641286 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1253670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick serine protease inhibitors (serpins) play crucial roles in tick feeding and pathogen transmission. We demonstrate that Ixodes scapularis (Ixs) nymph tick saliva serpin (S) 41 (IxsS41), secreted by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb)-infected ticks at high abundance, is involved in regulating tick evasion of host innate immunity and promoting host colonization by Bb. Recombinant (r) proteins were expressed in Pichia pastoris, and substrate hydrolysis assays were used to determine. Ex vivo (complement and hemostasis function related) and in vivo (paw edema and effect on Bb colonization of C3H/HeN mice organs) assays were conducted to validate function. We demonstrate that rIxsS41 inhibits chymase and cathepsin G, pro-inflammatory proteases that are released by mast cells and neutrophils, the first immune cells at the tick feeding site. Importantly, stoichiometry of inhibition analysis revealed that 2.2 and 2.8 molecules of rIxsS41 are needed to 100% inhibit 1 molecule of chymase and cathepsin G, respectively, suggesting that findings here are likely events at the tick feeding site. Furthermore, chymase-mediated paw edema, induced by the mast cell degranulator, compound 48/80 (C48/80), was blocked by rIxsS41. Likewise, rIxsS41 reduced membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition via the alternative and lectin complement activation pathways and dose-dependently protected Bb from complement killing. Additionally, co-inoculating C3H/HeN mice with Bb together with rIxsS41 or with a mixture (rIxsS41 and C48/80). Findings in this study suggest that IxsS41 markedly contributes to tick feeding and host colonization by Bb. Therefore, we conclude that IxsS41 is a potential candidate for an anti-tick vaccine to prevent transmission of the Lyme disease agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Bencosme-Cuevas
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Tae Kwon Kim
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Thu-Thuy Nguyen
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Jacquie Berry
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Leslie Garry Adams
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Daniel R. Swale
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Stefan H. E. Kaufmann
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Hagler Institute for Advanced Study, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yava Jones-Hall
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Butler LR, Gonzalez J, Pedra JHF, Oliva Chavez AS. Tick extracellular vesicles in host skin immunity and pathogen transmission. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:873-885. [PMID: 37591719 PMCID: PMC10528898 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.07.009] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Ticks can transmit a variety of human pathogens, including intracellular and extracellular bacteria, viruses, and protozoan parasites. Historically, their saliva has been of immense interest due to its anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and anesthetic properties. Only recently, it was discovered that tick saliva contains extracellular vesicles (EVs). Briefly, it has been observed that proteins associated with EVs are important for multiple tick-borne intracellular microbial lifestyles. The impact of tick EVs on viral and intracellular bacterial pathogen transmission from the tick to the mammalian host has been shown experimentally. Additionally, tick EVs interact with the mammalian skin immune system at the bite site. The interplay between tick EVs, the transmission of pathogens, and the host skin immune system affords opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Rainer Butler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Julia Gonzalez
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Joao H F Pedra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Rodríguez-Durán A, Ullah S, Parizi LF, Ali A, da Silva Vaz Junior I. Rabbits as Animal Models for Anti-Tick Vaccine Development: A Global Scenario. Pathogens 2023; 12:1117. [PMID: 37764925 PMCID: PMC10536012 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12091117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies evaluating candidate tick-derived proteins as anti-tick vaccines in natural hosts have been limited due to high costs. To overcome this problem, animal models are used in immunization tests. The aim of this article was to review the use of rabbits as an experimental model for the evaluation of tick-derived proteins as vaccines. A total of 57 tick proteins were tested for their immunogenic potential using rabbits as models for vaccination. The most commonly used rabbit breeds were New Zealand (73.8%), Japanese white (19%), Californians (4.8%) and Flemish lop-eared (2.4%) rabbits. Anti-tick vaccines efficacy resulted in up to 99.9%. Haemaphysalis longicornis (17.9%) and Ornithodoros moubata (12.8%) were the most common tick models in vaccination trials. Experiments with rabbits have revealed that some proteins (CoAQP, OeAQP, OeAQP1, Bm86, GST-Hl, 64TRP, serpins and voraxin) can induce immune responses against various tick species. In addition, in some cases it was possible to determine that the vaccine efficacy in rabbits was similar to that of experiments performed on natural hosts (e.g., Bm86, IrFER2, RmFER2, serpins and serine protease inhibitor). In conclusion, results showed that prior to performing anti-tick vaccination trials using natural hosts, rabbits can be used as suitable experimental models for these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlex Rodríguez-Durán
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande de Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; (A.R.-D.); (S.U.); (L.F.P.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande de Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
- Grupo de Investigación Parasitología Veterinaria, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 No. 26-85, Bogotá 110911, Colombia
| | - Shafi Ullah
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande de Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; (A.R.-D.); (S.U.); (L.F.P.)
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan;
| | - Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande de Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; (A.R.-D.); (S.U.); (L.F.P.)
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan;
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande de Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; (A.R.-D.); (S.U.); (L.F.P.)
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande de Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, RJ, Brazil
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Reynolds ES, Wooldridge JT, Stevenson HL, Thangamani S. The Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum, salivary factors exacerbate the clinical outcome of Heartland virus disease in a small animal model. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13304. [PMID: 37587216 PMCID: PMC10432400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40397-x] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Heartland virus was first isolated in 2009 from two patients in Missouri and is transmitted by the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum. To understand disease transmission and pathogenesis, it is necessary to develop an animal model which utilizes the natural route of transmission and manifests in a manner similar to documented human cases. Herein we describe our investigations on identifying A129 mice as the most appropriate small animal model for HRTV pathogenesis that mimics human clinical outcomes. We further investigated the impact of tick saliva in enhancing pathogen transmission and clinical outcomes. Our investigations revealed an increase in viral load in the groups of mice that received both virus and tick salivary gland extract (SGE). Spleens of all infected mice showed extramedullary hematopoiesis (EH), depleted white pulp, and absence of germinal centers. This observation mimics the splenomegaly observed in natural human cases. In the group that received both HRTV and tick SGE, the clinical outcome of HRTV infection was exacerbated compared to HRTV only infection. EH scores and the presence of viral antigens in spleen were higher in mice that received both HRTV and tick SGE. In conclusion, we have developed a small animal model that mimics natural human infection and also demonstrated the impact of tick salivary factors in exacerbating the HRTV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin S Reynolds
- SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Institute for Global Health and Translational Sciences, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Jacob T Wooldridge
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Heather L Stevenson
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
- Institute for Global Health and Translational Sciences, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
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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: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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Reynolds ES, Wooldridge JT, Stevenson H, Thangamani S. The Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum, salivary factors exacerbate the clinical outcome of Heartland virus disease in a small animal model. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2828801. [PMID: 37163121 PMCID: PMC10168474 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2828801/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Heartland virus was first isolated in 2009 from two patients in Missouri and is transmitted by the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum. To understand disease transmission and pathogenesis, it is necessary to develop an animal model that utilizes the natural transmission route and manifests in a manner similar to documented human cases. Herein we describe our investigations on identifying A129 mice as the most appropriate small animal model for HRTV pathogenesis that mimics human clinical outcomes. We further investigated the impact of tick saliva in enhancing pathogen transmission and clinical outcomes. Our investigations revealed an increase in viral load in the groups of mice that received both virus and tick salivary gland extract (SGE). Spleens of all infected mice showed extramedullary hematopoiesis (EH), depleted white pulp, and absence of germinal centers. This observation mimics the splenomegaly observed in natural human cases. In the group that received both HRTV and tick SGE, the clinical outcome of HRTV infection was exacerbated compared to HRTV-only infection. EH scores and viral antigens in the spleen were higher in mice that received both HRTV and tick SGE. In conclusion, we have developed a small animal model that mimics natural human infection and also demonstrated the impact to tick salivary factors in exacerbating the HRTV infection.
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11
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Mulenga A, Radulovic Z, Porter L, Britten TH, Kim TK, Tirloni L, Gaithuma AK, Adeniyi-Ipadeola GO, Dietrich JK, Moresco JJ, Yates JR. Identification and characterization of proteins that form the inner core Ixodes scapularis tick attachment cement layer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21300. [PMID: 36494396 PMCID: PMC9734129 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24881-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis long-term blood feeding behavior is facilitated by a tick secreted bio adhesive (tick cement) that attaches tick mouthparts to skin tissue and prevents the host from dislodging the attached tick. Understanding tick cement formation is highly sought after as its disruption will prevent tick feeding. This study describes proteins that form the inner core layer of I. scapularis tick cement as disrupting these proteins will likely stop formation of the outer cortical layer. The inner core cement layer completes formation by 24 h of tick attachment. Thus, we used laser-capture microdissection to isolate cement from cryosections of 6 h and 24 h tick attachment sites and to distinguish between early and late inner core cement proteins. LC-MS/MS analysis identified 138 tick cement proteins (TCPs) of which 37 and 35 were unique in cement of 6 and 24 h attached ticks respectively. We grouped TCPs in 14 functional categories: cuticular protein (16%), tick specific proteins of unknown function, cytoskeletal proteins, and enzymes (13% each), enzymes (10%), antioxidant, glycine rich, scaffolding, heat shock, histone, histamine binding, proteases and protease inhibitors, and miscellaneous (3-6% each). Gene ontology analysis confirm that TCPs are enriched for bio adhesive properties. Our data offer insights into tick cement bonding patterns and set the foundation for understanding the molecular basis of I. scapularis tick cement formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Mulenga
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA
| | - Zeljko Radulovic
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA ,grid.264303.00000 0001 0754 4420Present Address: Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX USA
| | - Lindsay Porter
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA ,grid.264303.00000 0001 0754 4420Present Address: Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX USA
| | - Taylor Hollman Britten
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA
| | - Tae Kwon Kim
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA ,grid.36567.310000 0001 0737 1259Present Address: Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS USA
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA ,grid.419681.30000 0001 2164 9667Present Address: Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT USA
| | - Alex Kiarie Gaithuma
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA
| | - Grace O. Adeniyi-Ipadeola
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA ,grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XPresent Address: Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Jolene K. Dietrich
- grid.214007.00000000122199231Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.250671.70000 0001 0662 7144Mass Spectrometry Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - James J. Moresco
- grid.214007.00000000122199231Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.267313.20000 0000 9482 7121Present Address: Center for Genetics of Host Defense, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX USA
| | - John R. Yates
- grid.214007.00000000122199231Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
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12
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Couret J, Schofield S, Narasimhan S. The environment, the tick, and the pathogen - It is an ensemble. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1049646. [PMID: 36405964 PMCID: PMC9666722 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1049646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis is one of the predominant vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease in the USA. The geographic distribution of I. scapularis, endemic to the northeastern and northcentral USA, is expanding as far south as Georgia and Texas, and northwards into Canada and poses an impending public health problem. The prevalence and spread of tick-borne diseases are influenced by the interplay of multiple factors including microbiological, ecological, and environmental. Molecular studies have focused on interactions between the tick-host and pathogen/s that determine the success of pathogen acquisition by the tick and transmission to the mammalian host. In this review we draw attention to additional critical environmental factors that impact tick biology and tick-pathogen interactions. With a focus on B. burgdorferi we highlight the interplay of abiotic factors such as temperature and humidity as well as biotic factors such as environmental microbiota that ticks are exposed to during their on- and off-host phases on tick, and infection prevalence. A molecular understanding of this ensemble of interactions will be essential to gain new insights into the biology of tick-pathogen interactions and to develop new approaches to control ticks and tick transmission of B. burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannelle Couret
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Samantha Schofield
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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13
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Liu L, Yan F, Zhang L, Wu ZF, Duan DY, Cheng TY. Protein profiling of hemolymph in Haemaphysalis flava ticks. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:179. [PMID: 35610668 PMCID: PMC9128142 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05287-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tick hemolymph bathes internal organs, acts as an exchange medium for nutrients and cellular metabolites, and offers protection against pathogens. Hemolymph is abundant in proteins. However, there has been limited integrated protein analysis in tick hemolymph thus far. Moreover, there are difficulties in differentiating tick-derived proteins from the host source. The aim of this study was to profile the tick/host protein components in the hemolymph of Haemaphysalis flava. Methods Hemolymph from adult engorged H. flava females was collected by leg amputation from the Erinaceus europaeus host. Hemolymph proteins were extracted by a filter-aided sample preparation protocol, digested by trypsin, and assayed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). MS raw data were searched against the UniProt Erinaceidae database and H. flava protein database for host- and tick-derived protein identification. Protein abundance was further quantified by intensity-based absolute quantification (iBAQ). Results Proteins extracted from hemolymph unevenly varied in size with intense bands between 100 and 130 kDa. In total, 312 proteins were identified in the present study. Therein 40 proteins were identified to be host-derived proteins, of which 18 were high-confidence proteins. Top 10 abundant host-derived proteins included hemoglobin subunit-α and subunit-β, albumin, serotransferrin-like, ubiquitin-like, haptoglobin, α-1-antitrypsin-like protein, histone H2B, apolipoprotein A-I, and C3-β. In contrast, 169 were high-confidence tick-derived proteins. These proteins were classified into six categories based on reported functions in ticks, i.e., enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, transporters, immune-related proteins, muscle proteins, and heat shock proteins. The abundance of Vg, microplusin and α-2-macroglobulin was the highest among tick-derived proteins as indicated by iBAQ. Conclusions Numerous tick- and host-derived proteins were identified in hemolymph. The protein profile of H. flava hemolymph revealed a sophisticated protein system in the physiological processes of anticoagulation, digestion of blood meal, and innate immunity. More investigations are needed to characterize tick-derived proteins in hemolymph. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05287-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors (RCPV), College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Fen Yan
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors (RCPV), College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors (RCPV), College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Zhi-Feng Wu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors (RCPV), College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - De-Yong Duan
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors (RCPV), College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Tian-Yin Cheng
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors (RCPV), College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.
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14
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Guizzo MG, Tirloni L, Gonzalez SA, Farber MD, Braz G, Parizi LF, Dedavid E Silva LA, da Silva Vaz I, Oliveira PL. Coxiella Endosymbiont of Rhipicephalus microplus Modulates Tick Physiology With a Major Impact in Blood Feeding Capacity. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:868575. [PMID: 35591999 PMCID: PMC9111531 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.868575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, metagenomics studies exploring tick microbiota have revealed widespread interactions between bacteria and arthropods, including symbiotic interactions. Functional studies showed that obligate endosymbionts contribute to tick biology, affecting reproductive fitness and molting. Understanding the molecular basis of the interaction between ticks and their mutualist endosymbionts may help to develop control methods based on microbiome manipulation. Previously, we showed that Rhipicephalus microplus larvae with reduced levels of Coxiella endosymbiont of R. microplus (CERM) were arrested at the metanymph life stage (partially engorged nymph) and did not molt into adults. In this study, we performed a transcriptomic differential analysis of the R. microplus metanymph in the presence and absence of its mutualist endosymbiont. The lack of CERM resulted in an altered expression profile of transcripts from several functional categories. Gene products such as DA-P36, protease inhibitors, metalloproteases, and evasins, which are involved in blood feeding capacity, were underexpressed in CERM-free metanymphs. Disregulation in genes related to extracellular matrix remodeling was also observed in the absence of the symbiont. Taken together, the observed alterations in gene expression may explain the blockage of development at the metanymph stage and reveal a novel physiological aspect of the symbiont-tick-vertebrate host interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, United States.,Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Sergio A Gonzalez
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular (IABIMO), INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Marisa D Farber
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular (IABIMO), INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Glória Braz
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pedro L Oliveira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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15
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Maqbool M, Sajid MS, Saqib M, Anjum FR, Tayyab MH, Rizwan HM, Rashid MI, Rashid I, Iqbal A, Siddique RM, Shamim A, Hassan MA, Atif FA, Razzaq A, Zeeshan M, Hussain K, Nisar RHA, Tanveer A, Younas S, Kamran K, Rahman SU. Potential Mechanisms of Transmission of Tick-Borne Viruses at the Virus-Tick Interface. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:846884. [PMID: 35602013 PMCID: PMC9121816 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.846884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks (Acari; Ixodidae) are the second most important vector for transmission of pathogens to humans, livestock, and wildlife. Ticks as vectors for viruses have been reported many times over the last 100 years. Tick-borne viruses (TBVs) belong to two orders (Bunyavirales and Mononegavirales) containing nine families (Bunyaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Asfarviridae, Orthomyxovirida, Reoviridae, Flaviviridae, Phenuviridae, Nyamiviridae, and Nairoviridae). Among these TBVs, some are very pathogenic, causing huge mortality, and hence, deserve to be covered under the umbrella of one health. About 38 viral species are being transmitted by <10% of the tick species of the families Ixodidae and Argasidae. All TBVs are RNA viruses except for the African swine fever virus from the family Asfarviridae. Tick-borne viral diseases have also been classified as an emerging threat to public health and animals, especially in resource-poor communities of the developing world. Tick-host interaction plays an important role in the successful transmission of pathogens. The ticks' salivary glands are the main cellular machinery involved in the uptake, settlement, and multiplication of viruses, which are required for successful transmission into the final host. Furthermore, tick saliva also participates as an augmenting tool during the physiological process of transmission. Tick saliva is an important key element in the successful transmission of pathogens and contains different antimicrobial proteins, e.g., defensin, serine, proteases, and cement protein, which are key players in tick-virus interaction. While tick-virus interaction is a crucial factor in the propagation of tick-borne viral diseases, other factors (physiological, immunological, and gut flora) are also involved. Some immunological factors, e.g., toll-like receptors, scavenger receptors, Janus-kinase (JAK-STAT) pathway, and immunodeficiency (IMD) pathway are involved in tick-virus interaction by helping in virus assembly and acting to increase transmission. Ticks also harbor some endogenous viruses as internal microbial faunas, which also play a significant role in tick-virus interaction. Studies focusing on tick saliva and its role in pathogen transmission, tick feeding, and control of ticks using functional genomics all point toward solutions to this emerging threat. Information regarding tick-virus interaction is somewhat lacking; however, this information is necessary for a complete understanding of transmission TBVs and their persistence in nature. This review encompasses insight into the ecology and vectorial capacity of tick vectors, as well as our current understanding of the predisposing, enabling, precipitating, and reinforcing factors that influence TBV epidemics. The review explores the cellular, biochemical, and immunological tools which ensure and augment successful evading of the ticks' defense systems and transmission of the viruses to the final hosts at the virus-vector interface. The role of functional genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics in profiling tick-virus interaction is also discussed. This review is an initial attempt to comprehensively elaborate on the epidemiological determinants of TBVs with a focus on intra-vector physiological processes involved in the successful execution of the docking, uptake, settlement, replication, and transmission processes of arboviruses. This adds valuable data to the existing bank of knowledge for global stakeholders, policymakers, and the scientific community working to devise appropriate strategies to control ticks and TBVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahvish Maqbool
- Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sohail Sajid
- Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saqib
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Faisal Rasheed Anjum
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Haleem Tayyab
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Muhammad Rizwan
- Section of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, KBCMA College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Narowal, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran Rashid
- Department of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Imaad Rashid
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Asif Iqbal
- Section of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, Riphah College of Veterinary Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rao Muhammad Siddique
- Section of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, Riphah College of Veterinary Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asim Shamim
- Department of Pathobiology, University of the Poonch Rawalakot, Rawalakot, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Adeel Hassan
- Department of Parasitology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Farhan Ahmad Atif
- Medicine Section, Department of Clinical Sciences, Collège of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, Pakistan
- University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Razzaq
- Agricultural Linkages Program, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zeeshan
- Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Kashif Hussain
- Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Akasha Tanveer
- Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sahar Younas
- Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Kashif Kamran
- Department of Zoology, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
| | - Sajjad ur Rahman
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
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16
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Ali A, Zeb I, Alouffi A, Zahid H, Almutairi MM, Ayed Alshammari F, Alrouji M, Termignoni C, Vaz IDS, Tanaka T. Host Immune Responses to Salivary Components - A Critical Facet of Tick-Host Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:809052. [PMID: 35372098 PMCID: PMC8966233 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.809052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick sialome is comprised of a rich cocktail of bioactive molecules that function as a tool to disarm host immunity, assist blood-feeding, and play a vibrant role in pathogen transmission. The adaptation of the tick's blood-feeding behavior has lead to the evolution of bioactive molecules in its saliva to assist them to overwhelm hosts' defense mechanisms. During a blood meal, a tick secretes different salivary molecules including vasodilators, platelet aggregation inhibitors, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory proteins, and inhibitors of complement activation; the salivary repertoire changes to meet various needs such as tick attachment, feeding, and modulation or impairment of the local dynamic and vigorous host responses. For instance, the tick's salivary immunomodulatory and cement proteins facilitate the tick's attachment to the host to enhance prolonged blood-feeding and to modulate the host's innate and adaptive immune responses. Recent advances implemented in the field of "omics" have substantially assisted our understanding of host immune modulation and immune inhibition against the molecular dynamics of tick salivary molecules in a crosstalk between the tick-host interface. A deep understanding of the tick salivary molecules, their substantial roles in multifactorial immunological cascades, variations in secretion, and host immune responses against these molecules is necessary to control these parasites. In this article, we reviewed updated knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying host responses to diverse elements in tick saliva throughout tick invasion, as well as host defense strategies. In conclusion, understanding the mechanisms involved in the complex interactions between the tick salivary components and host responses is essential to decipher the host defense mechanisms against the tick evasion strategies at tick-host interface which is promising in the development of effective anti-tick vaccines and drug therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Ismail Zeb
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hafsa Zahid
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Mashal M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahdah Ayed Alshammari
- College of Sciences and Literature Microbiology, Nothern Border University, Rafha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alrouji
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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17
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Maldonado-Ruiz LP, Boorgula GD, Kim D, Fleming SD, Park Y. Tick Intrastadial Feeding and Its Role on IgE Production in the Murine Model of Alpha-gal Syndrome: The Tick "Transmission" Hypothesis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:844262. [PMID: 35309294 PMCID: PMC8930817 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.844262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have provided strong evidence indicating that lone star tick bites are a cause of AGS (alpha-gal syndrome, also known as red meat allergy RMA) in humans. AGS is characterized by an increase in IgE antibody production against galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (aGal), which is a common glycan found in mammalian tissue, except in Old World monkeys and humans. The main causative factor of AGS, the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), is broadly distributed throughout the east and midwest of the United States and is a vector of a wide range of human and animal pathogens. Our earlier glycomics study of the salivary glands of partially fed male and female ticks revealed relatively high levels of aGal epitopes. In this study, we found that partially fed males of A. americanum on bovine blood, which engage in multiple intrastadial feedings, carry a large amount of aGal in the salivary glands. In our current work, we aimed to test whether ticks mediate the transmission of the aGal sensitizer acquired from nonhuman blood to humans in the intrastadial host switch (referred to as the "transmission" hypothesis). To test this hypothesis, we used an alpha-galactosyltransferase knockout mutant mouse (aGT-KO) model system infested with ticks that were unfed or partially fed on bovine blood. Based on the levels of total IgE and specific IgG and IgE antibodies against aGal after tick feedings, aGT-KO mice significantly responded to tick feeding and injection of aGal (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc) conjugated to human serum albumin or mouse serum albumin (aGal-HSA or aGal-MSA) by increasing total IgE and aGal-specific IgE levels compared to those in C57BL/6 control mice. All of the treatments of aGT-KO mice involving the feeding of partially fed and unfed ticks functioned as sensitizers that increased the levels of specific IgE against aGal, with large individual variations. The data in this study do not support the "transmission" component of AGS, although they confirmed that aGT-KO mice can be used as a model for RMA studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Donghun Kim
- Department of Entomology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Sherry D. Fleming
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
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18
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Fernández-Ruiz N, Estrada-Peña A. Scenes From Tick Physiology: Proteins of Sialome Talk About Their Biological Processes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:767845. [PMID: 35059322 PMCID: PMC8765405 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.767845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are blood-sucking parasites with different strategies of feeding depending on the tick family. The major families are Ixodidae or Argasidae, being slow or fast feeders, respectively. In the recent years, the advances in molecular sequencing techniques have enabled to gain knowledge about the proteome of the tick's salivary glands. But an holistic view of the biological processes underlying the expression of the sialome has been neglected. In this study we propose the use of standard biological processes as a tool to draw the physiology of the tick's salivary glands. We used published data on the sialome of Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (Ixodidae) and Ornithodoros rostratus (Argasidae). A partial set of proteins obtained by these studies were used to define the biological process(es) in which proteins are involved. We used a directed network construction in which the nodes are proteins (source) and biological processes (target), separately for the low-level processes ("children") and the top-level ones ("parents"). We applied the method to feeding R. sanguineus at different time slices, and to different organs of O. rostratus. The network connects the proteins and the processes with a strength directly proportional to the transcript per millions of each protein. We used PageRank as a measure of the importance of each biological process. As suggested in previous studies, the sialome of unfed R. sanguineus express about 30% less biological processes than feeding ticks. Another decrease (25%) is noticed at the middle of the feeding and before detachment. However, top-level processes are deeply affected only at the onset of feeding, demonstrating a redundancy in the feeding. When ixodid-argasid are compared, large differences were observed: they do not share 91% of proteins, but share 90% of the biological processes. However, caution must be observed when examining these results. The hypothesis of different proteins linked to similar biological process(es) in both ticks is an extreme not confirmed in this study. Considering the limitations of this study, carried out with a selected set of proteins, we propose the networks of proteins of sialome linked to their biological processes as a tool aimed to explain the biological processes behind families of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Fernández-Ruiz
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,Group of Research on Emerging Zoonoses, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,Group of Research on Emerging Zoonoses, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain
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19
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Ferreira Leal B, Sanchez Ferreira CA. Ticks and antibodies: May parasite density and tick evasion influence the outcomes following immunization protocols? Vet Parasitol 2021; 300:109610. [PMID: 34735848 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are a major concern to human health and livestock worldwide, being responsible for economic losses that go beyond billions of US dollars per year. This scenario instigates the development of vaccines against these ectoparasites, emphasized by the fact that the main method of controlling ticks still relies on the use of acaricides, what increases costs and may affect the environment as well as human and animal health. The first commercial vaccines against ectoparasites were produced against the tick Rhipicephalus microplus and their efficacy were based on antibodies. Many additional attempts have been conducted to produce protective immune responses against ticks by immunization with specific antigens and the antibody response has usually been the main target of evaluation. But some controversy still populates the roles possibly performed by humoral responses in tick-mammalian host relationships. This review focuses on the analysis of specific aspects concerning antibodies and ticks, especially the influence of parasite density and evasion/modulation. The immunization trials already described against R. microplus were also compiled and analyzed based on the characteristics of the molecules tested, protocols of immunization and tick challenge. Within these issues, it is discussed if or when antibody levels can be directly correlated with the development of tick resistance, and whether anti-tick protective immune responses generated by infestations may become ineffective under a different tick density. Also, higher titers of antibodies can be correlated with protection or susceptibility to tick infestations, what may be altered following continuous or repeated infestations and differ greatly comparing hosts with distinct genetic backgrounds. Regarding evasion, ticks present a sophisticated mechanism for dealing with antibodies, including Immunoglobulin Binding Proteins (IGBPs), that capture, transport and inject them back into the host, while keeping their properties within the parasite. The comparison of immunization protocols shows a total of 22 molecules already tested in cattle vaccination trials against R. microplus, with the predominance of concealed and dual antigens as well as marked differences in tick challenge schemes. The presence of an antibody evasion apparatus and variable levels of tick resistance when facing different densities of parasites are concerns that should be considered when testing vaccine candidates. Ultimately, more refinement may be necessary to effectively design a cocktail vaccine with tick molecules, which may be needed to be altered and combined in non-competing immune contexts to be universally secure and protective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Ferreira Leal
- Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6681, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Carlos Alexandre Sanchez Ferreira
- Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6681, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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20
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Park JM, Oliva Chávez AS, Shaw DK. Ticks: More Than Just a Pathogen Delivery Service. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:739419. [PMID: 34540723 PMCID: PMC8440996 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.739419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Park
- Program in Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Adela S Oliva Chávez
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Dana K Shaw
- Program in Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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21
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Kotál J, Polderdijk SGI, Langhansová H, Ederová M, Martins LA, Beránková Z, Chlastáková A, Hajdušek O, Kotsyfakis M, Huntington JA, Chmelař J. Ixodes ricinus Salivary Serpin Iripin-8 Inhibits the Intrinsic Pathway of Coagulation and Complement. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179480. [PMID: 34502392 PMCID: PMC8431025 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick saliva is a rich source of antihemostatic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory molecules that actively help the tick to finish its blood meal. Moreover, these molecules facilitate the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Here we present the functional and structural characterization of Iripin-8, a salivary serpin from the tick Ixodes ricinus, a European vector of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease. Iripin-8 displayed blood-meal-induced mRNA expression that peaked in nymphs and the salivary glands of adult females. Iripin-8 inhibited multiple proteases involved in blood coagulation and blocked the intrinsic and common pathways of the coagulation cascade in vitro. Moreover, Iripin-8 inhibited erythrocyte lysis by complement, and Iripin-8 knockdown by RNA interference in tick nymphs delayed the feeding time. Finally, we resolved the crystal structure of Iripin-8 at 1.89 Å resolution to reveal an unusually long and rigid reactive center loop that is conserved in several tick species. The P1 Arg residue is held in place distant from the serpin body by a conserved poly-Pro element on the P′ side. Several PEG molecules bind to Iripin-8, including one in a deep cavity, perhaps indicating the presence of a small-molecule binding site. This is the first crystal structure of a tick serpin in the native state, and Iripin-8 is a tick serpin with a conserved reactive center loop that possesses antihemostatic activity that may mediate interference with host innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kotál
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (H.L.); (M.E.); (Z.B.); (A.C.); (M.K.)
- Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center CAS, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
| | - Stéphanie G. I. Polderdijk
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, The Keith Peters Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; (S.G.I.P.); (J.A.H.)
| | - Helena Langhansová
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (H.L.); (M.E.); (Z.B.); (A.C.); (M.K.)
| | - Monika Ederová
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (H.L.); (M.E.); (Z.B.); (A.C.); (M.K.)
| | - Larissa A. Martins
- Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center CAS, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
| | - Zuzana Beránková
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (H.L.); (M.E.); (Z.B.); (A.C.); (M.K.)
| | - Adéla Chlastáková
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (H.L.); (M.E.); (Z.B.); (A.C.); (M.K.)
| | - Ondřej Hajdušek
- Laboratory of Vector Immunology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center CAS, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
| | - Michail Kotsyfakis
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (H.L.); (M.E.); (Z.B.); (A.C.); (M.K.)
- Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center CAS, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
| | - James A. Huntington
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, The Keith Peters Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; (S.G.I.P.); (J.A.H.)
| | - Jindřich Chmelař
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (H.L.); (M.E.); (Z.B.); (A.C.); (M.K.)
- Correspondence:
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22
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Kitsou C, Fikrig E, Pal U. Tick host immunity: vector immunomodulation and acquired tick resistance. Trends Immunol 2021; 42:554-574. [PMID: 34074602 PMCID: PMC10089699 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Ticks have an unparalleled ability to parasitize diverse land vertebrates. Their natural persistence and vector competence are supported by the evolution of sophisticated hematophagy and remarkable host immune-evasion activities. We analyze the immunomodulatory roles of tick saliva which facilitates their acquisition of a blood meal from natural hosts and allows pathogen transmission. We also discuss the contrasting immunological events of tick-host associations in non-reservoir or incidental hosts, in which the development of acquired tick resistance can deter tick attachment. A critical appraisal of the intricate immunobiology of tick-host associations can plant new seeds of innovative research and contribute to the development of novel preventive strategies against ticks and tick-transmitted infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA.
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23
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Tick extracellular vesicles enable arthropod feeding and promote distinct outcomes of bacterial infection. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3696. [PMID: 34140472 PMCID: PMC8211691 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23900-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles are thought to facilitate pathogen transmission from arthropods to humans and other animals. Here, we reveal that pathogen spreading from arthropods to the mammalian host is multifaceted. Extracellular vesicles from Ixodes scapularis enable tick feeding and promote infection of the mildly virulent rickettsial agent Anaplasma phagocytophilum through the SNARE proteins Vamp33 and Synaptobrevin 2 and dendritic epidermal T cells. However, extracellular vesicles from the tick Dermacentor andersoni mitigate microbial spreading caused by the lethal pathogen Francisella tularensis. Collectively, we establish that tick extracellular vesicles foster distinct outcomes of bacterial infection and assist in vector feeding by acting on skin immunity. Thus, the biology of arthropods should be taken into consideration when developing strategies to control vector-borne diseases.
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24
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Tick-human interactions: from allergic klendusity to the α-Gal syndrome. Biochem J 2021; 478:1783-1794. [PMID: 33988703 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ticks and the pathogens they transmit, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths, constitute a growing burden for human and animal health worldwide. The ability of some animal species to acquire resistance to blood-feeding by ticks after a single or repeated infestation is known as acquired tick resistance (ATR). This resistance has been associated to tick-specific IgE response, the generation of skin-resident memory CD4+ T cells, basophil recruitment, histamine release, and epidermal hyperplasia. ATR has also been associated with protection to tick-borne tularemia through allergic klendusity, a disease-escaping ability produced by the development of hypersensitivity to an allergen. In addition to pathogen transmission, tick infestation in humans is associated with the α-Gal syndrome (AGS), a type of allergy characterized by an IgE response against the carbohydrate Galα1-3Gal (α-Gal). This glycan is present in tick salivary proteins and on the surface of tick-borne pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agents of Lyme disease and granulocytic anaplasmosis. Most α-Gal-sensitized individuals develop IgE specific against this glycan, but only a small fraction develop the AGS. This review summarizes our current understanding of ATR and its impact on the continuum α-Gal sensitization, allergy, and the AGS. We propose that the α-Gal-specific IgE response in humans is an evolutionary adaptation associated with ATR and allergic klendusity with the trade-off of developing AGS.
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25
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Luker HA, Rodriguez S, Kandel Y, Vulcan J, Hansen IA. A novel Tick Carousel Assay for testing efficacy of repellents on Amblyomma americanum L.. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11138. [PMID: 33976963 PMCID: PMC8067905 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of human and veterinary diseases. A primary way ticks gain access to human hosts is by engaging to clothing. Repellents or acaricides sprayed onto fabric are used to deter ticks’ access to human hosts. However, there are a limited amount of standardized laboratory assays that can determine the potency and efficacy of repellents. We present a novel fabric-engagement assay referred to as the ‘Tick Carousel Assay’. This assay utilizes fabric brushing past ticks located on an artificial grass patch and measures tick engagements to fabric over time. After screening a variety of tick species, we used the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) to test the efficacy of four commonly used active ingredients in repellents: DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Repellency was tested immediately, after three hours, and six hours post application to fabric. Our data show that each repellent we tested significantly reduced the number of tick engagements to fabric for at least 6 hours. We did not find significant differences in repellent efficacy between the four active ingredients tested directly and three hours after application. After six hours, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus repelled ticks more than the other active ingredients. We show that our Tick Carousel Assay provides an affordable, repeatable, and standardized way to compare and test repellent efficacy on treated fabrics. Our results confirm that commonly used repellents applied to fabric are an effective way to reduce tick engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey A Luker
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States of America
| | - Stacy Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States of America
| | - Yashoda Kandel
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States of America
| | - Julia Vulcan
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States of America
| | - Immo A Hansen
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States of America
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26
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Kim TK, Tirloni L, Bencosme-Cuevas E, Kim TH, Diedrich JK, Yates JR, Mulenga A. Borrelia burgdorferi infection modifies protein content in saliva of Ixodes scapularis nymphs. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:152. [PMID: 33663385 PMCID: PMC7930271 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07429-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme disease (LD) caused by Borrelia burgdorferi is the most prevalent tick-borne disease. There is evidence that vaccines based on tick proteins that promote tick transmission of B. burgdorferi could prevent LD. As Ixodes scapularis nymph tick bites are responsible for most LD cases, this study sought to identify nymph tick saliva proteins associated with B. burgdorferi transmission using LC-MS/MS. Tick saliva was collected using a non-invasive method of stimulating ticks (uninfected and infected: unfed, and every 12 h during feeding through 72 h, and fully-fed) to salivate into 2% pilocarpine-PBS for protein identification using LC-MS/MS. RESULTS We identified a combined 747 tick saliva proteins of uninfected and B. burgdorferi infected ticks that were classified into 25 functional categories: housekeeping-like (48%), unknown function (18%), protease inhibitors (9%), immune-related (6%), proteases (8%), extracellular matrix (7%), and small categories that account for <5% each. Notably, B. burgdorferi infected ticks secreted high number of saliva proteins (n=645) than uninfected ticks (n=376). Counter-intuitively, antimicrobial peptides, which function to block bacterial infection at tick feeding site were suppressed 23-85 folds in B. burgdorferi infected ticks. Similar to glycolysis enzymes being enhanced in mammalian cells exposed to B. burgdorferi : eight of the 10-glycolysis pathway enzymes were secreted at high abundance by B. burgdorferi infected ticks. Of significance, rabbits exposed to B. burgdorferi infected ticks acquired potent immunity that caused 40-60% mortality of B. burgdorferi infected ticks during the second infestation compared to 15-28% for the uninfected. This might be explained by ELISA data that show that high expression levels of immunogenic proteins in B. burgdorferi infected ticks. CONCLUSION Data here suggest that B. burgdorferi infection modified protein content in tick saliva to promote its survival at the tick feeding site. For instance, enzymes; copper/zinc superoxide dismutase that led to production of H2O2 that is toxic to B. burgdorferi were suppressed, while, catalase and thioredoxin that neutralize H2O2, and pyruvate kinase which yields pyruvate that protects Bb from H2O2 killing were enhanced. We conclude data here is an important resource for discovery of effective antigens for a vaccine to prevent LD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Kwon Kim
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Emily Bencosme-Cuevas
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tae Heung Kim
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jolene K Diedrich
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
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27
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Ng YQ, Gupte TP, Krause PJ. Tick hypersensitivity and human tick-borne diseases. Parasite Immunol 2021; 43:e12819. [PMID: 33428244 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Immune-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to ticks and other arthropods are well documented. Hypersensitivity to ixodid (hard bodied) ticks is especially important because they transmit infection to humans throughout the world and are responsible for most vector-borne diseases in the United States. The causative pathogens of these diseases are transmitted in tick saliva that is secreted into the host while taking a blood meal. Tick salivary proteins inhibit blood coagulation, block the local itch response and impair host anti-tick immune responses, which allows completion of the blood meal. Anti-tick host immune responses are heightened upon repeated tick exposure and have the potential to abrogate tick salivary protein function, interfere with the blood meal and prevent pathogen transmission. Although there have been relatively few tick bite hypersensitivity studies in humans compared with those in domestic animals and laboratory animal models, areas of human investigation have included local hypersensitivity reactions at the site of tick attachment and generalized hypersensitivity reactions. Progress in the development of anti-tick vaccines for humans has been slow due to the complexities of such vaccines but has recently accelerated. This approach holds great promise for future prevention of tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Quan Ng
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Trisha P Gupte
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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28
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Tirloni L, Calvo E, Konnai S, da Silva Vaz I. Editorial: The Role of Saliva in Arthropod-Host-Pathogen Relationships. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:630626. [PMID: 33585290 PMCID: PMC7876279 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.630626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Tirloni
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, Molecular Entomology Unit, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Satoru Konnai
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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29
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Narasimhan S, Kurokawa C, DeBlasio M, Matias J, Sajid A, Pal U, Lynn G, Fikrig E. Acquired tick resistance: The trail is hot. Parasite Immunol 2020; 43:e12808. [PMID: 33187012 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acquired tick resistance is a phenomenon wherein the host elicits an immune response against tick salivary components upon repeated tick infestations. The immune responses, potentially directed against critical salivary components, thwart tick feeding, and the animal becomes resistant to subsequent tick infestations. The development of tick resistance is frequently observed when ticks feed on non-natural hosts, but not on natural hosts. The molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of tick resistance are not fully understood, and both host and tick factors are invoked in this phenomenon. Advances in molecular tools to address the host and the tick are beginning to reveal new insights into this phenomenon and to uncover a deeper understanding of the fundamental biology of tick-host interactions. This review will focus on the expanding understanding of acquired tick resistance and highlight the impact of this understanding on anti-tick vaccine development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cheyne Kurokawa
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Melody DeBlasio
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jaqueline Matias
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Andaleeb Sajid
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Geoffrey Lynn
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Perner J, Helm D, Haberkant P, Hatalova T, Kropackova S, Ribeiro JM, Kopacek P. The Central Role of Salivary Metalloproteases in Host Acquired Resistance to Tick Feeding. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:563349. [PMID: 33312963 PMCID: PMC7708348 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.563349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During feeding on vertebrate hosts, ticks secrete saliva composed of a rich cocktail of bioactive molecules modulating host immune responses. Although most of the proteinaceous fraction of tick saliva is of little immunogenicity, repeated feeding of ticks on mammalian hosts may lead to impairment of tick feeding, preventing full engorgement. Here, we challenged rabbits with repeated feeding of both Ixodes ricinus nymphs and adults and observed the formation of specific antibodies against several tick salivary proteins. Repeated feeding of both I. ricinus stages led to a gradual decrease in engorged weights. To identify the salivary antigens, isolated immunoglobulins from repeatedly infested rabbits were utilized for a protein pull-down from the saliva of pilocarpine-treated ticks. Eluted antigens were first identified by peptide mass fingerprinting with the aid of available I. ricinus salivary gland transcriptomes originating from early phases of tick feeding. To increase the authenticity of immunogens identified, we also performed, for the first time, de novo assembly of the sialome from I. ricinus females fed for six days, a timepoint used for pilocarpine-salivation. The most dominant I. ricinus salivary immunogens identified in our study were zinc-dependent metalloproteases of three different families. To corroborate the role of metalloproteases at the tick/host interface, we fed ticks micro-injected with a zinc metalloprotease inhibitor, phosphoramidon, on a rabbit. These ticks clearly failed to initiate feeding and to engorge. However, neither feeding to ticks immune blood of repeatedly infested rabbits, nor phosphoramidon injection into ticks, prevented their engorgement when fed in vitro on an artificial membrane system. These data show that Zn metalloproteases play a decisive role in the success of tick feeding, mediated by complex molecular interactions between the host immune, inflammatory, and hemostatic processes, which are absent in in vitro feeding. This basic concept warrants further investigation and reconsideration of the current strategies towards the development of an effective “anti-tick” vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Perner
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Dominic Helm
- Proteomics Core Facility, The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Per Haberkant
- Proteomics Core Facility, The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tereza Hatalova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Sara Kropackova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Jose M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
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31
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Martins LA, Bensaoud C, Kotál J, Chmelař J, Kotsyfakis M. Tick salivary gland transcriptomics and proteomics. Parasite Immunol 2020; 43:e12807. [PMID: 33135186 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
'Omics' technologies have facilitated the identification of hundreds to thousands of tick molecules that mediate tick feeding and play a role in the transmission of tick-borne diseases. Deep sequencing methodologies have played a key role in this knowledge accumulation, profoundly facilitating the study of the biology of disease vectors lacking reference genomes. For example, the nucleotide sequences of the entire set of tick salivary effectors, the so-called tick 'sialome', now contain at least one order of magnitude more transcript sequences compared to similar projects based on Sanger sequencing. Tick feeding is a complex and dynamic process, and while the dynamic 'sialome' is thought to mediate tick feeding success, exactly how transcriptome dynamics relate to tick-host-pathogen interactions is still largely unknown. The identification and, importantly, the functional analysis of the tick 'sialome' is expected to shed light on this 'black box'. This information will be crucial for developing strategies to block pathogen transmission, not only for anti-tick vaccine development but also the discovery and development of new, pharmacologically active compounds for human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Almeida Martins
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Chaima Bensaoud
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Kotál
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jindřich Chmelař
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michail Kotsyfakis
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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32
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An Ixodes scapularis Protein Disulfide Isomerase Contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi Colonization of the Vector. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00426-20. [PMID: 32928964 PMCID: PMC7671890 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00426-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease, the most common tick-transmitted illness in North America. When Ixodes scapularis feed on an infected vertebrate host, spirochetes enter the tick gut along with the bloodmeal and colonize the vector. Here, we show that a secreted tick protein, I. scapularis protein disulfide isomerase A3 (IsPDIA3), enhances B. burgdorferi colonization of the tick gut. I. scapularis ticks in which ispdiA3 has been knocked down using RNA interference have decreased spirochete colonization of the tick gut after engorging on B. burgdorferi-infected mice. Moreover, administration of IsPDIA3 antiserum to B. burgdorferi-infected mice reduced the ability of spirochetes to colonize the tick when feeding on these animals. We show that IsPDIA3 modulates inflammatory responses at the tick bite site, potentially facilitating spirochete survival at the vector-host interface as it exits the vertebrate host to enter the tick gut. These data provide functional insights into the complex interactions between B. burgdorferi and its arthropod vector and suggest additional targets to interfere with the spirochete life cycle.
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33
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Fractionation of tick saliva reveals proteins associated with the development of acquired resistance to Ixodes scapularis. Vaccine 2020; 38:8121-8129. [PMID: 33168347 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.10.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases pose a global medical problem. As transmission of tick-borne pathogens to their hosts occurs during tick feeding, development of vaccines thwarting this process could potentially prevent transmission of multiple tick-borne pathogens. The idea of tick vaccines is based on the phenomenon of acquired tick immunity, rejection of ticks feeding on hosts which were repeatedly infested by ticks. Recently, we demonstrated that saliva of the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis, which is the main vector of tick-borne pathogens in northeast USA, is sufficient for induction of tick immunity in the guinea pig model and that immunity directed against tick glycoproteins is important in this phenomenon. Nevertheless, immunity elicited against individual tick salivary antigens, which have been identified and tested so far, provided only modest tick rejection. We therefore now tested fractions of tick saliva produced by liquid chromatography for their ability to induce tick immunity in the guinea pig model. Immunization with all individual fractions elicited antibodies that reacted with tick saliva, however only some fractions displayed the ability to induce robust protective tick immunity. Mass spectrometry analysis led to identification of 24 proteins present only in saliva fractions which were able to induce tick immunity, suggesting suitable candidates for development of a tick vaccine.
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34
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Tirloni L, Braz G, Nunes RD, Gandara ACP, Vieira LR, Assumpcao TC, Sabadin GA, da Silva RM, Guizzo MG, Machado JA, Costa EP, Santos D, Gomes HF, Moraes J, dos Santos Mota MB, Mesquita RD, de Souza Leite M, Alvarenga PH, Lara FA, Seixas A, da Fonseca RN, Fogaça AC, Logullo C, Tanaka AS, Daffre S, Oliveira PL, da Silva Vaz I, Ribeiro JMC. A physiologic overview of the organ-specific transcriptome of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus. Sci Rep 2020. [DOI: 10.1246/nikkashi.1979.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractTo further obtain insights into the Rhipicephalus microplus transcriptome, we used RNA-seq to carry out a study of expression in (i) embryos; (ii) ovaries from partially and fully engorged females; (iii) salivary glands from partially engorged females; (iv) fat body from partially and fully engorged females; and (v) digestive cells from partially, and (vi) fully engorged females. We obtained > 500 million Illumina reads which were assembled de novo, producing > 190,000 contigs, identifying 18,857 coding sequences (CDS). Reads from each library were mapped back into the assembled transcriptome giving a view of gene expression in different tissues. Transcriptomic expression and pathway analysis showed that several genes related in blood digestion and host-parasite interaction were overexpressed in digestive cells compared with other tissues. Furthermore, essential genes for the cell development and embryogenesis were overexpressed in ovaries. Taken altogether, these data offer novel insights into the physiology of production and role of saliva, blood digestion, energy metabolism, and development with submission of 10,932 novel tissue/cell specific CDS to the NCBI database for this important tick species.
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35
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A physiologic overview of the organ-specific transcriptome of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18296. [PMID: 33106528 PMCID: PMC7588415 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75341-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To further obtain insights into the Rhipicephalus microplus transcriptome, we used RNA-seq to carry out a study of expression in (i) embryos; (ii) ovaries from partially and fully engorged females; (iii) salivary glands from partially engorged females; (iv) fat body from partially and fully engorged females; and (v) digestive cells from partially, and (vi) fully engorged females. We obtained > 500 million Illumina reads which were assembled de novo, producing > 190,000 contigs, identifying 18,857 coding sequences (CDS). Reads from each library were mapped back into the assembled transcriptome giving a view of gene expression in different tissues. Transcriptomic expression and pathway analysis showed that several genes related in blood digestion and host-parasite interaction were overexpressed in digestive cells compared with other tissues. Furthermore, essential genes for the cell development and embryogenesis were overexpressed in ovaries. Taken altogether, these data offer novel insights into the physiology of production and role of saliva, blood digestion, energy metabolism, and development with submission of 10,932 novel tissue/cell specific CDS to the NCBI database for this important tick species.
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36
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Karasuyama H, Miyake K, Yoshikawa S. Immunobiology of Acquired Resistance to Ticks. Front Immunol 2020; 11:601504. [PMID: 33154758 PMCID: PMC7591762 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.601504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods of great importance in the medical and veterinary fields worldwide. They are considered second only to mosquitos as vectors of pathogenic microorganisms that can cause serious infectious disorders, such as Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. Hard (Ixodid) ticks feed on host animals for several days and inject saliva together with pathogens to hosts during blood feeding. Some animal species can acquire resistance to blood-feeding by ticks after a single or repeated tick infestation, resulting in decreased weights and numbers of engorged ticks or the death of ticks in subsequent infestations. Importantly, this acquired tick resistance (ATR) can reduce the risk of pathogen transmission from pathogen-infected ticks to hosts. This is the basis for the development of tick antigen-targeted vaccines to forestall tick infestation and tick-borne diseases. Accumulation of basophils is detected in the tick re-infested skin lesion of animals showing ATR, and the ablation of basophils abolishes ATR in mice and guinea pigs, illustrating the critical role for basophils in the expression of ATR. In this review article, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development and manifestation of ATR, with a particular focus on the role of basophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Karasuyama
- Inflammation, Infection and Immunity Laboratory, TMDU Advanced Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensuke Miyake
- Inflammation, Infection and Immunity Laboratory, TMDU Advanced Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Soichiro Yoshikawa
- Department of Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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37
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Failed Disruption of Tick Feeding, Viability, and Molting after Immunization of Mice and Sheep with Recombinant Ixodes ricinus Salivary Proteins IrSPI and IrLip1. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030475. [PMID: 32858821 PMCID: PMC7564719 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify potential vaccine candidates against Ixodes ricinus and tick-borne pathogen transmission, we have previously sequenced the salivary gland transcriptomes of female ticks infected or not with Bartonella henselae. The hypothesized potential of both IrSPI (I. ricinus serine protease inhibitor) and IrLip1 (I. ricinus lipocalin 1) as protective antigens decreasing tick feeding and/or the transmission of tick-borne pathogens was based on their presumed involvement in dampening the host immune response to tick feeding. Vaccine endpoints included tick larval and nymphal mortality, feeding, and molting in mice and sheep. Whether the antigens were administered individually or in combination, the vaccination of mice or sheep elicited a potent antigen-specific antibody response. However, and contrary to our expectations, vaccination failed to afford protection against the infestation of mice and sheep by I. ricinus nymphs and larvae, respectively. Rather, vaccination with IrSPI and IrLip1 appeared to enhance tick engorgement and molting and decrease tick mortality. To the best of our knowledge, these observations represent the first report of induction of vaccine-mediated enhancement in relation to anti-tick vaccination.
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38
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Kim TK, Tirloni L, Berger M, Diedrich JK, Yates JR, Termignoni C, da Silva Vaz I, Mulenga A. Amblyomma americanum serpin 41 (AAS41) inhibits inflammation by targeting chymase and chymotrypsin. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 156:1007-1021. [PMID: 32320803 PMCID: PMC11005088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.04.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Ticks inject serine protease inhibitors (serpins) into their feeding sites to evade serine protease-mediated host defenses against tick-feeding. This study describes two highly identitical (97%) but functionally different Amblyomma americanum tick saliva serpins (AAS41 and 46) that are secreted at the inception of tick-feeding. We show that AAS41, which encodes a leucine at the P1 site inhibits inflammation system proteases: chymase (SI = 3.23, Ka = 5.6 ± 3.7X103M-1 s-1) and α-chymotrypsin (SI = 3.18, Ka = 1.6 ± 4.1X104M-1 s-1), while AAS46, which encodes threonine has no inhibitory activity. Similary, rAAS41 inhibits rMCP-1 purified from rat peritonuem derived mast cells. Consistently, rAAS41 inhibits chymase-mediated inflammation induced by compound 48/80 in rat paw edema and vascular permeability models. Native AAS41/46 proteins are among tick saliva immunogens that provoke anti-tick immunity in repeatedly infested animals as revealed by specific reactivity with tick immune sera. Of significance, native AAS41/46 play critical tick-feeding functions in that RNAi-mediated silencing caused ticks to ingest significantly less blood. Importantly, monospecific antibodies to rAAS41 blocked inhibitory functions of rAAS41, suggesting potential for design of vaccine antigens that provokes immunity to neutralize functions of this protein at the tick-feeding site. We discuss our findings with reference to tick-feeding physiology and discovery of effective tick vaccine antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Kwon Kim
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA; Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Markus Berger
- Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Jolene K Diedrich
- Foundation Peptide Biology Lab, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
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39
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Garcia GR, Chaves Ribeiro JM, Maruyama SR, Gardinassi LG, Nelson K, Ferreira BR, Andrade TG, de Miranda Santos IKF. A transcriptome and proteome of the tick Rhipicephalus microplus shaped by the genetic composition of its hosts and developmental stage. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12857. [PMID: 32732984 PMCID: PMC7393499 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is a monoxenous tick that co-evolved with indicine cattle on the Indian subcontinent. It causes massive damage to livestock worldwide. Cattle breeds present heritable, contrasting phenotypes of tick loads, taurine breeds carrying higher loads of the parasite than indicine breeds. Thus, a useful model is available to analyze mechanisms that determine outcomes of parasitism. We sought to gain insights on these mechanisms and used RNA sequencing and Multidimensional Protein Identification Technology (MudPIT) to generate a transcriptome from whole larvae and salivary glands from nymphs, males and females feeding on genetically susceptible and resistant bovine hosts and their corresponding proteomes. 931,698 reads were annotated into 11,676 coding sequences (CDS), which were manually curated into 116 different protein families. Male ticks presented the most diverse armamentarium of mediators of parasitism. In addition, levels of expression of many genes encoding mediators of parasitism were significantly associated with the level and stage of host immunity and/or were temporally restricted to developmental stages of the tick. These insights should assist in developing novel, sustainable technologies for tick control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo R Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Superintendence of the São Paulo State Technical and Scientific Police, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - José Marcos Chaves Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sandra Regina Maruyama
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Gustavo Gardinassi
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Kristina Nelson
- Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Beatriz R Ferreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Department of Maternal-Child Nursing and Public Health, Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Thales Galdino Andrade
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.,Department of Maternal-Child Nursing and Public Health, Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel K Ferreira de Miranda Santos
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
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40
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Integrated analysis of sialotranscriptome and sialoproteome of the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.): Insights into gene expression during blood feeding. J Proteomics 2020; 229:103899. [PMID: 32673754 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tick salivary glands secrete a complex saliva into their hosts which modulates vertebrate hemostasis, immunity and tissue repair mechanisms. Transcriptomic studies revealed a large number of transcripts coding for structural and secreted protein products in a single tick species. These transcripts are organized in several large families according to their products. Not all transcripts are expressed at the same time, transcription profile switches at intervals, characterizing the phenomenon of "sialome switching". In this work, using transcriptomic and proteomic analysis we explored the sialome of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.) adult female ticks feeding on a rabbit. The correlations between transcriptional and translational results in the different groups were evaluated, confirming the "sialome switching" and validating the idea that the expression switch may serve as a mechanism of escape from the host immunity. Recombination breakpoints were identified in lipocalin and metalloprotease families, indicating this mechanism could be a possible source of diversity in the tick sialome. Another remarkable observation was the identification of host-derived proteins as a component of tick salivary gland content. These results and disclosed sequences contribute to our understanding of tick feeding biology, to the development of novel anti-tick methods, and to the discovery of novel pharmacologically active products. SIGNIFICANCE: Ticks are a burden by themselves to humans and animals, and vectors of viral, bacterial, protozoal and helminthic diseases. Their saliva has anti-clotting, anti-platelet, vasodilatory and immunomodulatory activities that allows successful feeding and pathogen transmission. Previous transcriptomic studies indicate ticks to have over one thousand transcripts coding for secreted salivary proteins. These transcripts code for proteins of diverse families, but not all are transcribed simultaneously, but rather transiently, in a succession. Here we explored the salivary transcriptome and proteome of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. A protein database of over 20 thousand sequences was "de novo" assembled from over 600 million nucleotide reads, from where over two thousand polypeptides were identified by mass spectrometry. The proteomic data was shown to vary in time with the transcription profiles, validating the idea that the expression switch may serve as a mechanism of escape from the host immunity. Analysis of the transcripts coding for lipocalin and metalloproteases indicate their genes to contain signals of breakpoint recombination suggesting a new mechanism responsible for the large diversity in tick salivary proteins. These results and the disclosed sequences contribute to our understanding of the success ticks enjoy as ectoparasites, to the development of novel anti-tick methods, and to the discovery of novel pharmacologically active products.
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41
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Peng M, Tabashsum Z, Patel P, Bernhardt C, Biswas C, Meng J, Biswas D. Prevention of enteric bacterial infections and modulation of gut microbiota with conjugated linoleic acids producing Lactobacillus in mice. Gut Microbes 2020; 11:433-452. [PMID: 31411526 PMCID: PMC7524329 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2019.1638724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotics are recognized for outcompeting pathogenic bacteria by competitive receptor-mediated colonization and secretion of functional metabolites which are antimicrobial against certain microbes as well as improving host's gut health and immunity. Recently, we have constructed a bioactive Lactobacillus casei (LC) strain, LC+mcra , by inserting mcra (myosin cross-reactive antigen) gene, which stimulates the conversion of conjugated linoleic acids. In this study, we evaluated the modulation of gut microbiome and protective roles of LC+mcra against pathogenic Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) infections in BALB/cJ mice. We observed that LC+mcra colonized efficiently in mice gut intestine and competitively reduced the infection with ST and EHEC in various locations of small and large intestine, specifically cecum, jejunum, and ileum (p < 0.05). Positive modulation of the cecal microbiota, for example, higher relative abundances of Firmicutes, lower relative abundances of Proteobacteria, and increased bacterial species diversity/richness, was detected in ST-challenged mice pretreated with LC+mcra based on 16S metagenomic sequencing. Cytokine gene expression analysis indicated that mice pretreated with LC+mcra associated with attenuated bacterial pathogen-induced gut inflammation. Furthermore, mice fed daily with LC+mcra for one week could protect themselves from the impairments caused by enteric infections with ST or EHEC. These impairments include weight loss, negative hematological changes, intestinal histological alterations, and potential death. This in vivo study suggests that daily consumption of novel conjugated linoleic acids over-producing probiotic effectively improves intestinal microbiota composition and prevents/combats foodborne enteric bacterial infections with pathogenic Salmonella and diarrheagenic E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Peng
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA,Biological Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Zajeba Tabashsum
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Puja Patel
- Biological Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Cassandra Bernhardt
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Chitrine Biswas
- Biological Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Jianghong Meng
- Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA,Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Debabrata Biswas
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA,Biological Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA,Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA,CONTACT Debabrata Biswas Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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Kim TK, Tirloni L, Pinto AFM, Diedrich JK, Moresco JJ, Yates JR, da Silva Vaz I, Mulenga A. Time-resolved proteomic profile of Amblyomma americanum tick saliva during feeding. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0007758. [PMID: 32049966 PMCID: PMC7041860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Amblyomma americanum ticks transmit more than a third of human tick-borne disease (TBD) agents in the United States. Tick saliva proteins are critical to success of ticks as vectors of TBD agents, and thus might serve as targets in tick antigen-based vaccines to prevent TBD infections. We describe a systems biology approach to identify, by LC-MS/MS, saliva proteins (tick = 1182, rabbit = 335) that A. americanum ticks likely inject into the host every 24 h during the first 8 days of feeding, and towards the end of feeding. Searching against entries in GenBank grouped tick and rabbit proteins into 27 and 25 functional categories. Aside from housekeeping-like proteins, majority of tick saliva proteins belong to the tick-specific (no homology to non-tick organisms: 32%), protease inhibitors (13%), proteases (8%), glycine-rich proteins (6%) and lipocalins (4%) categories. Global secretion dynamics analysis suggests that majority (74%) of proteins in this study are associated with regulating initial tick feeding functions and transmission of pathogens as they are secreted within 24–48 h of tick attachment. Comparative analysis of the A. americanum tick saliva proteome to five other tick saliva proteomes identified 284 conserved tick saliva proteins: we speculate that these regulate critical tick feeding functions and might serve as tick vaccine antigens. We discuss our findings in the context of understanding A. americanum tick feeding physiology as a means through which we can find effective targets for a vaccine against tick feeding. The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is a medically important species in US that transmits 5 of the 16 reported tick-borne disease agents. Most recently, bites of this tick were associated with red meat allergies in humans. Vaccination of animals against tick feeding has been shown to be a sustainable and an effective alternative to current acaricide based tick control method which has several limitations. The pre-requisite to tick vaccine development is to understand the molecular basis of tick feeding physiology. Toward this goal, this study has identified proteins that A. americanum ticks inject into the host at different phases of its feeding cycle. This data set has identified proteins that A. americanum inject into the host within 24–48 h of feeding before it starts to transmit pathogens. Of high importance, we identified 284 proteins that are present in saliva of other tick species, which we suspect regulate important role(s) in tick feeding success and might represent rich source target antigens for a tick vaccine. Overall, this study provides a foundation to understand the molecular mechanisms regulating tick feeding physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Kwon Kim
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Antônio F. M. Pinto
- Foundation Peptide Biology Lab, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Californai, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jolene K. Diedrich
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - James J. Moresco
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - John R. Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Martins LA, Kotál J, Bensaoud C, Chmelař J, Kotsyfakis M. Small protease inhibitors in tick saliva and salivary glands and their role in tick-host-pathogen interactions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2020; 1868:140336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.140336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Parizi LF, Rangel CK, Sabadin GA, Saggin BF, Kiio I, Xavier MA, da Silva Matos R, Camargo-Mathias MI, Seixas A, Konnai S, Ohashi K, Githaka NW, da Silva Vaz I. Rhipicephalus microplus cystatin as a potential cross-protective tick vaccine against Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101378. [PMID: 31982372 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, the brown ear tick, is an important disease vector of livestock in eastern, central and southern Africa. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus acaricide resistance requires the search for alternative methods for its control. Cystatins constitute a superfamily of cysteine peptidase inhibitors vital for tick blood feeding and development. These inhibitors were proposed as antigens in anti-tick vaccines. In this work, we applied structural and biochemical approaches to characterize a new cystatin named R. appendiculatus cystatin 2a (Racys2a). Structural modeling showed that this new protein possesses characteristic type 2 cystatin motifs, besides conservation of other structural patterns along the protein. Peptidase inhibitory assays with recombinant Racys2a showed modulation of tick and host cathepsins involved in blood digestion and immune system responses, respectively. A heterologous tick challenge with R. appendiculatus in rabbits immunized with recombinant Rhipicephalus microplus cystatin 2c (rBmcys2c) was performed to determine cross-reactivity. Histological staining showed that rBmcys2c vaccination caused damage to the gut, salivary gland and ovary tissues in R. appendiculatus. Furthermore, cystatin vaccine reduced the number of fully engorged adult females in 11.5 %. Consequently, strategies to increase the protection rate are necessary, including the selection of two or more antigens to compose a vaccine cocktail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Carolina Konrdörfer Rangel
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Alves Sabadin
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Bianca Fagundes Saggin
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Irene Kiio
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PO Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Marina Amaral Xavier
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Renata da Silva Matos
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Adriana Seixas
- Departamento de Farmacociências, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, 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, 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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Salivary gland proteome analysis of developing adult female Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks: molecular motor and TCA cycle-related proteins play an important role throughout development. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:613. [PMID: 31888749 PMCID: PMC6937756 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3864-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are notorious blood-feeding arthropods that can spread a variety of deadly diseases. The salivary gland is an important organ for ticks to feed on blood, and this organ begins to develop rapidly when ixodid ticks suck blood. When these ticks reach a critical weight, the salivary glands stop developing and begin to degenerate. The expression levels of a large number of proteins during the development and degeneration of salivary glands change, which regulate the biological functions of the salivary glands. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, there are only a few reports on the role of molecular motor and TCA cycle-related proteins in the salivary glands of ticks. Results We used iTRAQ quantitative proteomics to study the dynamic changes in salivary gland proteins in female Haemaphysalis longicornis at four feeding stages: unfed, partially fed, semi-engorged and engorged. Using bioinformatics methods to analyze the dynamic changes of a large number of proteins, we found that molecular motor and TCA cycle-related proteins play an important role in the physiological changes of the salivary glands. The results of RNAi experiments showed that when dynein, kinesin, isocitrate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase were knocked down independently, the weight of the engorged female ticks decreased by 63.5%, 54.9%, 42.6% and 48.6%, respectively, and oviposition amounts decreased by 83.1%, 76.0%, 50.8%, and 55.9%, respectively, and the size of type III acini of females salivary glands decreased by 35.6%, 33.3%, 28.9%, and 20.0%, respectively. Conclusions The results showed that the expression of different types of proteins change in different characteristics in salivary glands during the unfed to engorged process of female ticks. Corresponding expression changes of these proteins at different developmental stages of female ticks are very important to ensure the orderly development of the organ. By analyzing these changes, some proteins, such as molecular motor and TCA cycle-related proteins, were screened and RNAi carried out. When these mRNAs were knocked down, the female ticks cannot develop normally. The research results provide a new protein target for the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases.
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Bakshi M, Kim TK, Porter L, Mwangi W, Mulenga A. Amblyomma americanum ticks utilizes countervailing pro and anti-inflammatory proteins to evade host defense. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008128. [PMID: 31756216 PMCID: PMC6897422 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding and transmission of tick-borne disease (TBD) agents by ticks are facilitated by tick saliva proteins (TSP). Thus, defining functional roles of TSPs in tick evasion is expected to reveal potential targets in tick-antigen based vaccines to prevent TBD infections. This study describes two types of Amblyomma americanum TSPs: those that are similar to LPS activate macrophage (MΦ) to express pro-inflammation (PI) markers and another set that suppresses PI marker expression by activated MΦ. We show that similar to LPS, three recombinant (r) A. americanum insulin-like growth factor binding-related proteins (rAamIGFBP-rP1, rAamIGFBP-rP6S, and rAamIGFBP-rP6L), hereafter designated as PI-rTSPs, stimulated both PBMC -derived MΦ and mice RAW 267.4 MΦ to express PI co-stimulatory markers, CD40, CD80, and CD86 and cytokines, TNFα, IL-1, and IL-6. In contrast, two A. americanum tick saliva serine protease inhibitors (serpins), AAS27 and AAS41, hereafter designated as anti-inflammatory (AI) rTSPs, on their own did not affect MΦ function or suppress expression of PI markers, but enhanced expression of AI cytokines (IL-10 and TGFβ) in MΦ that were pre-activated by LPS or PI-rTSPs. Mice paw edema test demonstrated that in vitro validated PI- and AI-rTSPs are functional in vivo since injection of HEK293-expressed PI-rTSPs (individually or as a cocktail) induced edema comparable to carrageenan-induced edema and was characterized by upregulation of CD40, CD80, CD86, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and chemokines: CXCL1, CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, and CCL11, whereas the AI-rTSPs (individually and cocktail) were suppressive. We propose that the tick may utilize countervailing PI and AI TSPs to regulate evasion of host immune defenses whereby TSPs such as rAamIGFBP-rPs activate host immune cells and proteins such as AAS27 and AAS41 suppress the activated immune cells. Several studies have documented immuno-suppressive activities in whole tick saliva and salivary gland protein extracts. We have made contribution toward understanding the molecular basis of tick feeding, as we have described functions of defined tick saliva immuno-modulatory proteins. We have shown that A. americanum injects two groups of functionally opposed tick saliva proteins: those that could counter-intuitively be characterized as pro-host defense, and those that are expected to have anti-host immune defense functions. Based on our data, we propose that the tick evades host defense using countervailing pro- and anti- inflammatory proteins in which the pro-host defense tick saliva proteins stimulate host immune cells such as macrophages, and the anti-host defense tick saliva proteins suppress functions of the activated immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Bakshi
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, TAMU, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tae Kwon Kim
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, TAMU, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lindsay Porter
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, TAMU, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Waithaka Mwangi
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, TAMU, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, TAMU, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Li Y, Li X, Han Z, Xu W, Li X, Chen Q. Comparative Tandem Mass Tag-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Tachaea chinensis Isopod During Parasitism. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:350. [PMID: 31681627 PMCID: PMC6798089 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic isopods perforate and attach to the host integument via the mandibles and then feed on hemolymph and exudate from the wounds. Such isopods attack a variety of commercially important fish and crustacean hosts. Similar to other hematophagous parasites, isopods may also employ biomolecules that affect host blood conglutination and defense systems. In the present study, a tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomic approach was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in Tachaea chinensis parasites of shrimp, by comparing parasitic (fed) and pre-parasitic (unfed) individuals. We identified 888 proteins from a total of 1,510 peptides, with a significant difference in 129 between the fed and unfed groups. Among these, 37 were upregulated and 92 were downregulated in unfed T. chinensis. This indicates that T. chinensis may require more energy before parasitism during its search for a host. In addition, as is the case for other blood-sucking parasites, it might secrete antihemostatic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory molecules to facilitate blood meal acquisition. To our knowledge, this study is the first to use a TMT-based proteomic approach to analyze the proteome of isopod parasites, and the results will facilitate our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of isopod parasitism on crustaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingdong Li
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xin Li
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhibin Han
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Weibin Xu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaodong Li
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qijun Chen
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
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Amblyomma americanum serpin 27 (AAS27) is a tick salivary anti-inflammatory protein secreted into the host during feeding. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007660. [PMID: 31449524 PMCID: PMC6730956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks successfully feed and transmit pathogens by injecting pharmacological compounds in saliva to thwart host defenses. We have previously used LC-MS/MS to identify proteins that are present in saliva of unfed Amblyomma americanum ticks that were exposed to different hosts. Here we show that A. americanum serine protease inhibitor (serpin) 27 (AAS27) is an immunogenic saliva protein that is injected into the host within the first day of tick feeding and is an anti-inflammatory protein that might act by blocking plasmin and trypsin functions. Although AAS27 is injected into the host throughout tick feeding, qRT-PCR and western blotting analyses indicate that the respective transcript and protein are present in high amounts within the first 24 h of tick feeding. Biochemical screening of Pichia pastoris-expressed recombinant (r) AAS27 against mammalian proteases related to host defense shows it is an inhibitor of trypsin and plasmin, with stoichiometry of inhibition indices of 3.5 and 3.8, respectively. Consistent with typical inhibitory serpins, rAAS27 formed heat- and SDS-stable irreversible complexes with both proteases. We further demonstrate that rAAS27 inhibits trypsin with ka of 6.46 ± 1.24 x 104 M-1 s-1, comparable to serpins of other tick species. We show that native AAS27 is part of the repertoire of proteins responsible for the inhibitory activity against trypsin in crude tick saliva. AAS27 is likely utilized by the tick to evade the hosts inflammation defense since rAAS27 blocks both formalin and compound 48/80-induced inflammation in rats. Tick immune sera of rabbits that had acquired resistance against tick feeding following repeated infestations with A. americanum or Ixodes scapularis ticks reacts with rAAS27. Of significant interest, antibody to rAAS27 blocks this serpin inhibitory functions. Taken together, we conclude that AAS27 is an anti-inflammatory protein secreted into the host during feeding and may represent a potential candidate for development of an anti-tick vaccine.
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Chmelař J, Kotál J, Kovaříková A, Kotsyfakis M. The Use of Tick Salivary Proteins as Novel Therapeutics. Front Physiol 2019; 10:812. [PMID: 31297067 PMCID: PMC6607933 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The last three decades of research into tick salivary components have revealed several proteins with important pharmacological and immunological activities. Two primary interests have driven research into tick salivary secretions: the search for suitable pathogen transmission blocking or “anti-tick” vaccine candidates and the search for novel therapeutics derived from tick salivary components. Intensive basic research in the field of tick salivary gland transcriptomics and proteomics has identified several major protein families that play important roles in tick feeding and overcoming vertebrate anti-tick responses. Moreover, these families contain members with unrealized therapeutic potential. Here we review the major tick salivary protein families exploitable in medical applications such as immunomodulation, inhibition of hemostasis and inflammation. Moreover, we discuss the potential, opportunities, and challenges in searching for novel tick-derived drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindřich Chmelař
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jan Kotál
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia.,Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Anna Kovaříková
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Michail Kotsyfakis
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia.,Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czechia
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A microRNA profile of saliva and role of miR-375 in Haemaphysalis longicornis (Ixodida: Ixodidae). Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:68. [PMID: 30709412 PMCID: PMC6359829 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3318-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tick saliva contains many bioactive molecules that are involved in attachment to the host, blood-feeding and transmission of pathogens. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding RNAs with a length of 19–24 nucleotides. They act as regulators of gene expression by binding to their target mRNA at the post-transcriptional level and control a variety of cellular functions, including regulation of growth, metabolism and development. The detection and characterizations of miRNAs from tick saliva may help explain the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction between ticks, pathogens and hosts. They may also contribute to the discovery of vaccines, which can control ticks and the pathogens they transmit. Results An RNA library was generated from the saliva of fed adult Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks, containing 17.4 million clean reads of 18–30 nucleotides. Overall, 319 known miRNAs and 1 novel miRNA were found. The 10 most abundantly expressed miRNAs present in tick saliva were miR-100_2, miR-315, miR-184_1, miR-100-5p_2, miR-5307, miR-184-3p_3, Let-7-5p_6, miR-71_5, miR-1-3p_6 and miR-10-5p_2. miR-375, one of the abundantly expressed, was subjected to quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qRT-PCR) in various tick developmental stages, as well as in different tissues isolated from adult ticks. The expression of miR-375 in different tick development stages was highest in unfed nymphs and lowest in the egg stage. In the tissues of adult ticks, miR-375 was most highly expressed in the salivary gland. To investigate the possible role of miR-375, Ant-375 was used to inhibit the miR-375. The treated group (Ant-375) had a reduced number of eggs (t(10) = 2.652, P = 0.0242), eggs that were partially desiccated, and reduced egg hatchability (t(10) = 2.272, P = 0.044) compared to Ms-Ant and the non-injected control. Conclusions This is the first study to investigate the miRNA profile in tick saliva and the role of miR-375 in H. longicornis. The identification and characterization of miRNA in tick saliva may help to reveal the molecular mechanisms of interactions among ticks, pathogens and hosts, and suggest new vaccine strategies to control tick-borne diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3318-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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