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Strnad M, Koizumi N, Nakamura S, Vancová M, Rego ROM. It's not all about flagella - sticky invasion by pathogenic spirochetes. Trends Parasitol 2024:S1471-4922(24)00071-0. [PMID: 38523038 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic spirochetes cause a range of serious human diseases such as Lyme disease (LD), syphilis, leptospirosis, relapsing fever (RF), and periodontal disease. Motility is a critical virulence factor for spirochetes. From the mechanical perspective of the infection, it has been widely believed that flagella are the sole key players governing the migration and dissemination of these pathogens in the host. Here, we highlight the important contribution of spirochetal surface-exposed adhesive molecules and their dynamic interactions with host molecules in the process of infection, specifically in spirochetal swimming and crawling migration. We believe that these recent findings overturn the prevailing view depicting the spirochetal body to be just an inert elastic bag, which does not affect spirochetal cell locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Strnad
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Nobuo Koizumi
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Shuichi Nakamura
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-05 Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Marie Vancová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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2
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Zinck CB, Raveendram Thampy P, Uhlemann EME, Adam H, Wachter J, Suchan D, Cameron ADS, Rego ROM, Brisson D, Bouchard C, Ogden NH, Voordouw MJ. Variation among strains of Borrelia burgdorferi in host tissue abundance and lifetime transmission determine the population strain structure in nature. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011572. [PMID: 37607182 PMCID: PMC10473547 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogen life history theory assumes a positive relationship between pathogen load in host tissues and pathogen transmission. Empirical evidence for this relationship is surprisingly rare due to the difficulty of measuring transmission for many pathogens. The comparative method, where a common host is experimentally infected with a set of pathogen strains, is a powerful approach for investigating the relationships between pathogen load and transmission. The validity of such experimental estimates of strain-specific transmission is greatly enhanced if they can predict the pathogen population strain structure in nature. Borrelia burgdorferi is a multi-strain, tick-borne spirochete that causes Lyme disease in North America. This study used 11 field-collected strains of B. burgdorferi, a rodent host (Mus musculus, C3H/HeJ) and its tick vector (Ixodes scapularis) to determine the relationship between pathogen load in host tissues and lifetime host-to-tick transmission (HTT). Mice were experimentally infected via tick bite with 1 of 11 strains. Lifetime HTT was measured by infesting mice with I. scapularis larval ticks on 3 separate occasions. The prevalence and abundance of the strains in the mouse tissues and the ticks were determined by qPCR. We used published databases to obtain estimates of the frequencies of these strains in wild I. scapularis tick populations. Spirochete loads in ticks and lifetime HTT varied significantly among the 11 strains of B. burgdorferi. Strains with higher spirochete loads in the host tissues were more likely to infect feeding larval ticks, which molted into nymphal ticks that had a higher probability of B. burgdorferi infection (i.e., higher HTT). Our laboratory-based estimates of lifetime HTT were predictive of the frequencies of these strains in wild I. scapularis populations. For B. burgdorferi, the strains that establish high abundance in host tissues and that have high lifetime transmission are the strains that are most common in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Zinck
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Prasobh Raveendram Thampy
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Eva-Maria E. Uhlemann
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Hesham Adam
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jenny Wachter
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Danae Suchan
- Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Andrew D. S. Cameron
- Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dustin Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Catherine Bouchard
- Public Health Risk Sciences, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maarten J. Voordouw
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Wu-Chuang A, Mateos-Hernandez L, Maitre A, Rego ROM, Šíma R, Porcelli S, Rakotobe S, Foucault-Simonin A, Moutailler S, Palinauskas V, Aželytė J, Sǐmo L, Obregon D, Cabezas-Cruz A. Microbiota perturbation by anti-microbiota vaccine reduces the colonization of Borrelia afzelii in Ixodes ricinus. Microbiome 2023; 11:151. [PMID: 37482606 PMCID: PMC10364381 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01599-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks can transmit a broad variety of pathogens of medical importance, including Borrelia afzelii, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis in Europe. Tick microbiota is an important factor modulating, not only vector physiology, but also the vector competence. Anti-microbiota vaccines targeting keystone taxa of tick microbiota can alter tick feeding and modulate the taxonomic and functional profiles of bacterial communities in the vector. However, the impact of anti-microbiota vaccine on tick-borne pathogen development within the vector has not been tested. RESULTS Here, we characterized the Ixodes ricinus microbiota modulation in response to B. afzelii infection and found that the pathogen induces changes in the microbiota composition, its beta diversity and structure of bacterial community assembly. Tick microbiota perturbation by anti-microbiota antibodies or addition of novel commensal bacteria into tick midguts causes departures from the B. afzelii-induced modulation of tick microbiota which resulted in a lower load of the pathogen in I. ricinus. Co-occurrence networks allowed the identification of emergent properties of the bacterial communities which better defined the Borrelia infection-refractory states of the tick microbiota. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that Borrelia is highly sensitive to tick microbiota perturbations and that departure from the modulation induced by the pathogen in the vector microbiota pose a high cost to the spirochete. Network analysis emerges as a suitable tool to identify emergent properties of the vector microbiota associated with infection-refractory states. Anti-microbiota vaccines can be used as a tool for microbiota perturbation and control of important vector-borne pathogens. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Apolline Maitre
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Šíma
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Biopticka Laborator S.R.O, Plzen, Czech Republic
| | - Stefania Porcelli
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sabine Rakotobe
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Angélique Foucault-Simonin
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | - Justė Aželytė
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 09412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ladislav Sǐmo
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Dasiel Obregon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.
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Rego ROM, Lopez JE, Cabesas-Cruz A. Editorial: Biological drivers of vector-pathogen interactions - vol II. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1170834. [PMID: 36949813 PMCID: PMC10027001 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1170834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O. M. Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Ryan O. M. Rego,
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alejandro Cabesas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
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Zinck CB, Thampy PR, Rego ROM, Brisson D, Ogden NH, Voordouw M. Borrelia burgdorferi strain and host sex influence pathogen prevalence and abundance in the tissues of a laboratory rodent host. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5872-5888. [PMID: 36112076 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Experimental infections with different pathogen strains give insight into pathogen life history traits. The purpose of the present study was to compare variation in tissue infection prevalence and spirochete abundance among strains of Borrelia burgdorferi in a rodent host (Mus musculus, C3H/HeJ). Male and female mice were experimentally infected via tick bite with one of 12 strains. Ear tissue biopsies were taken at days 29, 59 and 89 postinfection, and seven tissues were collected at necropsy. The presence and abundance of spirochetes in the mouse tissues were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. To determine the frequencies of our strains in nature, their multilocus sequence types were matched to published data sets. For the infected mice, 56.6% of the tissues were infected with B. burgdorferi. The mean spirochete load in the mouse necropsy tissues varied 4.8-fold between the strains. The mean spirochete load in the ear tissue biopsies decreased rapidly over time for some strains. The percentage of infected tissues in male mice (65.4%) was significantly higher compared to female mice (50.5%). The mean spirochete load in the seven tissues was 1.5× higher in male mice compared to female mice; this male bias was 15.3× higher in the ventral skin. Across the 11 strains, the mean spirochete loads in the infected mouse tissues were positively correlated with the strain-specific frequencies in their tick vector populations. The study suggests that laboratory-based estimates of pathogen abundance in host tissues can predict the strain composition of this important tick-borne pathogen in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Zinck
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Prasobh Raveendran Thampy
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Dustin Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
- Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, and Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maarten Voordouw
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Hejduk L, Rathner P, Strnad M, Grubhoffer L, Sterba J, Rego ROM, Müller N, Rathner A. Resonance assignment and secondary structure of DbpA protein from the European species, Borrelia afzelii. Biomol NMR Assign 2021; 15:415-420. [PMID: 34357583 PMCID: PMC8481140 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-021-10039-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Decorin binding proteins (Dbps) mediate attachment of spirochetes in host organisms during the early stages of Lyme disease infection. Previously, different binding mechanisms of Dbps to glycosaminoglycans have been elucidated for the pathogenic species Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and B. afzelii. We are investigating various European Borrelia spirochetes and their interactions at the atomic level using NMR. We report preparative scale recombinant expression of uniformly stable isotope enriched B. afzelii DbpA in Escherichia coli, its chromatographic purification, and solution NMR assignments of its backbone and sidechain 1H, 13C, and 15N atoms. This data was used to predict secondary structure propensity, which we compared to the North American B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and European B. garinii DbpA for which solution NMR structures had been determined previously. Backbone dynamics of DbpA from B. afzelii were elucidated from spin relaxation and heteronuclear NOE experiments. NMR-based secondary structure analysis together with the backbone dynamics characterization provided a first look into structural differences of B. afzelii DbpA compared to the North American species and will serve as the basis for further investigation of how these changes affect interactions with host components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libor Hejduk
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Rathner
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstraße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Strnad
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Sterba
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Norbert Müller
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstraße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria
| | - Adriana Rathner
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstraße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria.
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Hart TM, Dupuis AP, Tufts DM, Blom AM, Starkey SR, Rego ROM, Ram S, Kraiczy P, Kramer LD, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Host tropism determination by convergent evolution of immunological evasion in the Lyme disease system. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009801. [PMID: 34324600 PMCID: PMC8354441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens possess the ability to adapt and survive in some host species but not in others-an ecological trait known as host tropism. Transmitted through ticks and carried mainly by mammals and birds, the Lyme disease (LD) bacterium is a well-suited model to study such tropism. Three main causative agents of LD, Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, vary in host ranges through mechanisms eluding characterization. By feeding ticks infected with different Borrelia species, utilizing feeding chambers and live mice and quail, we found species-level differences in bacterial transmission. These differences localize on the tick blood meal, and specifically complement, a defense in vertebrate blood, and a polymorphic bacterial protein, CspA, which inactivates complement by binding to a host complement inhibitor, Factor H (FH). CspA selectively confers bacterial transmission to vertebrates that produce FH capable of allele-specific recognition. CspA is the only member of the Pfam54 gene family to exhibit host-specific FH-binding. Phylogenetic analyses revealed convergent evolution as the driver of such uniqueness, and that FH-binding likely emerged during the last glacial maximum. Our results identify a determinant of host tropism in Lyme disease infection, thus defining an evolutionary mechanism that shapes host-pathogen associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle M. Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna M. Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Simon R. Starkey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Institute for Genomic Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
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Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease, persists in nature through an enzootic cycle consisting of a vertebrate host and an Ixodes tick vector. The sequence motifs modified by two well-characterized restriction/modification (R/M) loci of B. burgdorferi type strain B31 were recently described, but the methylation profiles of other Lyme disease Borrelia bacteria have not been characterized. Here, the methylomes of B. burgdorferi type strain B31 and 7 clonal derivatives, along with B. burgdorferi N40, B. burgdorferi 297, B. burgdorferi CA-11, B. afzelii PKo, B. afzelii BO23, and B. garinii PBr, were defined through PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing. This analysis revealed 9 novel sequence motifs methylated by the plasmid-encoded restriction/modification enzymes of these Borrelia strains. Furthermore, while a previous analysis of B. burgdorferi B31 revealed an epigenetic impact of methylation on the global transcriptome, the current data contradict those findings; our analyses of wild-type B. burgdorferi B31 revealed no consistent differences in gene expression among isogenic derivatives lacking one or more restriction/modification enzymes. IMPORTANCE The principal causative agent of Lyme disease in humans in the United States is Borrelia burgdorferi, while B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, collectively members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, cause Lyme disease in Europe and Asia. Two plasmid-encoded restriction/modification systems have been shown to limit the genetic transformation of B. burgdorferi type strain B31 with foreign DNA, but little is known about the restriction/modification systems of other Lyme disease Borrelia bacteria. This paper describes the methylation motifs present on genomic DNAs of multiple B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii strains. Contrary to a previous report, we did not find evidence for an epigenetic impact on gene expression by methylation. Knowledge of the motifs recognized and methylated by the restriction/modification enzymes of Lyme disease Borrelia will facilitate molecular genetic investigations of these important human pathogens. Additionally, the similar motifs methylated by orthologous restriction/modification systems of Lyme disease Borrelia bacteria and the presence of these motifs within recombinogenic loci suggest a biological role for these ubiquitous restriction/modification systems in horizontal gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Wachter
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Craig Martens
- Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Kent Barbian
- Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Patricia Rosa
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
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Strnad M, Rego ROM. The need to unravel the twisted nature of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex across Europe. Microbiology (Reading) 2021; 166:428-435. [PMID: 32125267 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne infection caused by bacteria under the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, both in Europe and North America. Differential gene expression at different times throughout its infectious cycle allows the spirochete to survive very diverse environments within different mammalian hosts as well as the tick vector. To date, the vast majority of data about spirochetal proteins and their functions are from genetic studies carried out on North American strains of a single species, i.e. B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. The whole-genome sequences recently obtained for several European species/strains make it feasible to adapt and use genetic techniques to study inherent differences between them. This review highlights the crucial need to undertake independent studies of genospecies within Europe, given their varying genetic content and pathogenic potential, and differences in clinical manifestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Strnad
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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10
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Rego ROM, Lopez JE, Cabezas-Cruz A. Editorial: Biological Drivers of Vector-Pathogen Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:609495. [PMID: 33194846 PMCID: PMC7642874 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.609495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
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11
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Kotsarenko K, Vechtova P, Lieskovska J, Füssy Z, Cabral-de-Mello DC, Rego ROM, Alberdi P, Collins M, Bell-Sakyi L, Sterba J, Grubhoffer L. Karyotype changes in long-term cultured tick cell lines. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13443. [PMID: 32778731 PMCID: PMC7417564 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70330-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick cell lines are an easy-to-handle system for the study of viral and bacterial infections and other aspects of tick cellular processes. Tick cell cultures are often continuously cultivated, as freezing can affect their viability. However, the long-term cultivation of tick cells can influence their genome stability. In the present study, we investigated karyotype and genome size of tick cell lines. Though 16S rDNA sequencing showed the similarity between Ixodes spp. cell lines at different passages, their karyotypes differed from 2n = 28 chromosomes for parental Ixodes spp. ticks, and both increase and decrease in chromosome numbers were observed. For example, the highly passaged Ixodes scapularis cell line ISE18 and Ixodes ricinus cell lines IRE/CTVM19 and IRE/CTVM20 had modal chromosome numbers 48, 23 and 48, respectively. Also, the Ornithodoros moubata cell line OME/CTVM22 had the modal chromosome number 33 instead of 2n = 20 chromosomes for Ornithodoros spp. ticks. All studied tick cell lines had a larger genome size in comparison to the genomes of the parental ticks. Thus, highly passaged tick cell lines can be used for research purposes, but possible differences in encoded genetic information and downstream cellular processes, between different cell populations, should be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Kotsarenko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. .,Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavlina Vechtova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslava Lieskovska
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Zoltán Füssy
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Diogo C Cabral-de-Mello
- Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- Neuroplasticity and Neurodegeneration Group, Regional Center for Biomedical Research (CRIB), Ciudad Real Medical School, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Marisol Collins
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
| | - Jan Sterba
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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12
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Hodžić A, Mateos-Hernández L, Leschnik M, Alberdi P, Rego ROM, Contreras M, Villar M, de la Fuente J, Cabezas-Cruz A, Duscher GG. Tick Bites Induce Anti-α-Gal Antibodies in Dogs. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7030114. [PMID: 31540167 PMCID: PMC6789585 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7030114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the functional inactivation of the gene encoding for the enzyme that is involved in the oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal) synthesis, humans and Old-World primates are able to produce a large amount of antibodies against the glycan epitope. Apart from being involved in the hyperacute organ rejection in humans, anti-α-Gal antibodies have shown a protective effect against some pathogenic agents and an implication in the recently recognized tick-induced mammalian meat allergy. Conversely, non-primate mammals, including dogs, have the ability to synthetize α-Gal and, thus, their immune system is not expected to naturally generate the antibodies toward this self-antigen molecule. However, in the current study, we detected specific IgG, IgM, and IgE antibodies to α-Gal in sera of clinically healthy dogs by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the first time. Furthermore, in a tick infestation experiment, we showed that bites of Ixodes ricinus induce the immune response to α-Gal in dogs and that the resulting antibodies (IgM) might be protective against Anaplasma phagocytophilum. These findings may help lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in mammalian meat allergy and tick-host-pathogen interactions, but they also open up the question about the possibility that dogs could develop an allergy to mammalian meat after tick bites, similar to that in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Hodžić
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Lourdes Mateos-Hernández
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (L.M.H.); (P.A.); (M.C.); (M.V.); (J.d.l.F.)
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Michael Leschnik
- Department for Companion Animals, Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (L.M.H.); (P.A.); (M.C.); (M.V.); (J.d.l.F.)
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
| | - Marinela Contreras
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (L.M.H.); (P.A.); (M.C.); (M.V.); (J.d.l.F.)
| | - Margarita Villar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (L.M.H.); (P.A.); (M.C.); (M.V.); (J.d.l.F.)
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (L.M.H.); (P.A.); (M.C.); (M.V.); (J.d.l.F.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706 Maisons-Alfort, France
- Correspondence: or (A.C.-C.); (G.G.D.); Tel.: +33-1-49-774-677 (A.C.-C.); +43-1-250-77-2211 (G.G.D.)
| | - Georg Gerhard Duscher
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
- Correspondence: or (A.C.-C.); (G.G.D.); Tel.: +33-1-49-774-677 (A.C.-C.); +43-1-250-77-2211 (G.G.D.)
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13
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Rego ROM, Trentelman JJA, Anguita J, Nijhof AM, Sprong H, Klempa B, Hajdusek O, Tomás-Cortázar J, Azagi T, Strnad M, Knorr S, Sima R, Jalovecka M, Fumačová Havlíková S, Ličková M, Sláviková M, Kopacek P, Grubhoffer L, Hovius JW. Counterattacking the tick bite: towards a rational design of anti-tick vaccines targeting pathogen transmission. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:229. [PMID: 31088506 PMCID: PMC6518728 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3468-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematophagous arthropods are responsible for the transmission of a variety of pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. Ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex are vectors for some of the most frequently occurring human tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). The search for vaccines against these diseases is ongoing. Efforts during the last few decades have primarily focused on understanding the biology of the transmitted viruses, bacteria and protozoans, with the goal of identifying targets for intervention. Successful vaccines have been developed against TBEV and Lyme borreliosis, although the latter is no longer available for humans. More recently, the focus of intervention has shifted back to where it was initially being studied which is the vector. State of the art technologies are being used for the identification of potential vaccine candidates for anti-tick vaccines that could be used either in humans or animals. The study of the interrelationship between ticks and the pathogens they transmit, including mechanisms of acquisition, persistence and transmission have come to the fore, as this knowledge may lead to the identification of critical elements of the pathogens' life-cycle that could be targeted by vaccines. Here, we review the status of our current knowledge on the triangular relationships between ticks, the pathogens they carry and the mammalian hosts, as well as methods that are being used to identify anti-tick vaccine candidates that can prevent the transmission of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O. M. Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jos J. A. Trentelman
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Juan Anguita
- CIC bioGUNE, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48012 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Ard M. Nijhof
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Boris Klempa
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Tal Azagi
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Strnad
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sarah Knorr
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Radek Sima
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Jalovecka
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sabína Fumačová Havlíková
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martina Ličková
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Sláviková
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Joppe W. Hovius
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Vechtova P, Sterbova J, Sterba J, Vancova M, Rego ROM, Selinger M, Strnad M, Golovchenko M, Rudenko N, Grubhoffer L. A bite so sweet: the glycobiology interface of tick-host-pathogen interactions. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:594. [PMID: 30428923 PMCID: PMC6236881 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases constitute 17% of all infectious diseases in the world; among the blood-feeding arthropods, ticks transmit the highest number of pathogens. Understanding the interactions between the tick vector, the mammalian host and the pathogens circulating between them is the basis for the successful development of vaccines against ticks or the tick-transmitted pathogens as well as for the development of specific treatments against tick-borne infections. A lot of effort has been put into transcriptomic and proteomic analyses; however, the protein-carbohydrate interactions and the overall glycobiology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens has not been given the importance or priority deserved. Novel (bio)analytical techniques and their availability have immensely increased the possibilities in glycobiology research and thus novel information in the glycobiology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens is being generated at a faster pace each year. This review brings a comprehensive summary of the knowledge on both the glycosylated proteins and the glycan-binding proteins of the ticks as well as the tick-transmitted pathogens, with emphasis on the interactions allowing the infection of both the ticks and the hosts by various bacteria and tick-borne encephalitis virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavlina Vechtova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Jarmila Sterbova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Sterba
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Vancova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Selinger
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Strnad
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Maryna Golovchenko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Nataliia Rudenko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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15
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Rodríguez-Ruano SM, Škochová V, Rego ROM, Schmidt JO, Roachell W, Hypša V, Nováková E. Microbiomes of North American Triatominae: The Grounds for Chagas Disease Epidemiology. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1167. [PMID: 29951039 PMCID: PMC6008411 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect microbiomes influence many fundamental host traits, including functions of practical significance such as their capacity as vectors to transmit parasites and pathogens. The knowledge on the diversity and development of the gut microbiomes in various blood feeding insects is thus crucial not only for theoretical purposes, but also for the development of better disease control strategies. In Triatominae (Heteroptera: Reduviidae), the blood feeding vectors of Chagas disease in South America and parts of North America, the investigation of the microbiomes is in its infancy. The few studies done on microbiomes of South American Triatominae species indicate a relatively low taxonomic diversity and a high host specificity. We designed a comparative survey to serve several purposes: (I) to obtain a better insight into the overall microbiome diversity in different species, (II) to check the long term stability of the interspecific differences, (III) to describe the ontogenetic changes of the microbiome, and (IV) to determine the potential correlation between microbiome composition and presence of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Using 16S amplicons of two abundant species from the southern US, and four laboratory reared colonies, we showed that the microbiome composition is determined by host species, rather than locality or environment. The OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) determination confirms a low microbiome diversity, with 12-17 main OTUs detected in wild populations of T. sanguisuga and T. protracta. Among the dominant bacterial taxa are Acinetobacter and Proteiniphilum but also the symbiotic bacterium Arsenophonus triatominarum, previously believed to only live intracellularly. The possibility of ontogenetic microbiome changes was evaluated in all six developmental stages and feces of the laboratory reared model Rhodnius prolixus. We detected considerable changes along the host's ontogeny, including clear trends in the abundance variation of the three dominant bacteria, namely Enterococcus, Acinetobacter, and Arsenophonus. Finally, we screened the samples for the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi. Comparing the parasite presence with the microbiome composition, we assessed the possible significance of the latter in the epidemiology of the disease. Particularly, we found a trend toward more diverse microbiomes in Trypanosoma cruzi positive T. protracta specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Veronika Škochová
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Biology Centre of ASCR, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Justin O. Schmidt
- Department of Entomology, Southwestern Biological Institute, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Walter Roachell
- US Army Public Health Command-Central, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Václav Hypša
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Biology Centre of ASCR, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Eva Nováková
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Biology Centre of ASCR, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
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16
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Honig Mondekova H, Sima R, Urbanova V, Kovar V, Rego ROM, Grubhoffer L, Kopacek P, Hajdusek O. Characterization of Ixodes ricinus Fibrinogen-Related Proteins (Ixoderins) Discloses Their Function in the Tick Innate Immunity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:509. [PMID: 29276701 PMCID: PMC5727070 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of serious human and animal disease-causing organisms, but their innate immunity can fight invading pathogens and may have the ability to reduce or block transmission to mammalian hosts. Lectins, sugar-binding proteins, can distinguish between self and non-self-oligosaccharide motifs on pathogen surfaces. Although tick hemolymph possesses strong lectin activity, and several lectins have already been isolated and characterized, little is known about the implementation of these molecules in tick immunity. Here, we have described and functionally characterized fibrinogen-related protein (FReP) lectins in Ixodes ticks. We have shown that the FReP family contains at least 27 genes (ixoderins, ixo) that could, based on phylogenetic and expression analyses, be divided into three groups with differing degrees of expansion. By using RNA interference-mediated gene silencing (RNAi) we demonstrated that IXO-A was the main lectin in tick hemolymph. Further, we found that ixoderins were important for phagocytosis of Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts by tick hemocytes and that their expression was upregulated upon injection of microbes, wounding, or after blood feeding. However, although the tick hemocytes could swiftly phagocytose Borrelia afzelii spirochetes, their transmission and burst of infection in mice was not altered. Our results demonstrate that tick ixoderins are crucial immune proteins that work as opsonins in the tick hemolymph, targeting microbes for phagocytosis or lysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Honig Mondekova
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Radek Sima
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Veronika Urbanova
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Vojtech Kovar
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
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17
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Belli A, Sarr A, Rais O, Rego ROM, Voordouw MJ. Ticks infected via co-feeding transmission can transmit Lyme borreliosis to vertebrate hosts. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5006. [PMID: 28694446 PMCID: PMC5503982 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05231-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne pathogens establish systemic infections in host tissues to maximize transmission to arthropod vectors. Co-feeding transmission occurs when the pathogen is transferred between infected and naive vectors that feed in close spatiotemporal proximity on a host that has not yet developed a systemic infection. Borrelia afzelii is a tick-borne spirochete bacterium that causes Lyme borreliosis (LB) and is capable of co-feeding transmission. Whether ticks that acquire LB pathogens via co-feeding are actually infectious to vertebrate hosts has never been tested. We created nymphs that had been experimentally infected as larvae with B. afzelii via co-feeding or systemic transmission, and compared their performance over one complete LB life cycle. Co-feeding nymphs had a spirochete load that was 26 times lower than systemic nymphs but both nymphs were highly infectious to mice (i.e., probability of nymph-to-host transmission of B. afzelii was ~100%). The mode of transmission had no effect on the other infection phenotypes of the LB life cycle. Ticks that acquire B. afzelii via co-feeding transmission are highly infectious to rodents, and the resulting rodent infection is highly infectious to larval ticks. This is the first study to show that B. afzelii can use co-feeding transmission to complete its life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Belli
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Anouk Sarr
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Rais
- Laboratory of Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, ASCR, Biology Centre, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Maarten J Voordouw
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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18
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Vancová M, Rudenko N, Vaněček J, Golovchenko M, Strnad M, Rego ROM, Tichá L, Grubhoffer L, Nebesářová J. Pleomorphism and Viability of the Lyme Disease Pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi Exposed to Physiological Stress Conditions: A Correlative Cryo-Fluorescence and Cryo-Scanning Electron Microscopy Study. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:596. [PMID: 28443079 PMCID: PMC5387694 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the response of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi exposed to stress conditions and assess the viability of this spirochete, we used a correlative cryo-fluorescence and cryo-scanning microscopy approach. This approach enables simple exposition of bacteria to various experimental conditions that can be stopped at certain time intervals by cryo-immobilization, examination of cell viability without necessity to maintain suitable culture conditions during viability assays, and visualization of structures in their native state at high magnification. We focused on rare and transient events e.g., the formation of round bodies and the presence of membranous blebs in spirochetes exposed to culture medium, host sera either without or with the bacteriolytic effect and water. We described all crucial steps of the workflow, particularly the influence of freeze-etching and accelerating voltage on the visualization of topography. With the help of newly designed cryo-transport device, we achieved greater reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Vancová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Nataliia Rudenko
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jiří Vaněček
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | | | - Martin Strnad
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Lucie Tichá
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jana Nebesářová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of ParasitologyČeské Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in PragueCzechia
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19
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de la Fuente J, Antunes S, Bonnet S, Cabezas-Cruz A, Domingos AG, Estrada-Peña A, Johnson N, Kocan KM, Mansfield KL, Nijhof AM, Papa A, Rudenko N, Villar M, Alberdi P, Torina A, Ayllón N, Vancova M, Golovchenko M, Grubhoffer L, Caracappa S, Fooks AR, Gortazar C, Rego ROM. Tick-Pathogen Interactions and Vector Competence: Identification of Molecular Drivers for Tick-Borne Diseases. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:114. [PMID: 28439499 PMCID: PMC5383669 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks and the pathogens they transmit constitute a growing burden for human and animal health worldwide. Vector competence is a component of vectorial capacity and depends on genetic determinants affecting the ability of a vector to transmit a pathogen. These determinants affect traits such as tick-host-pathogen and susceptibility to pathogen infection. Therefore, the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in tick-pathogen interactions that affect vector competence is essential for the identification of molecular drivers for tick-borne diseases. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of tick-pathogen molecular interactions for bacteria, viruses, and protozoa affecting human and animal health. Additionally, the impact of tick microbiome on these interactions was considered. Results show that different pathogens evolved similar strategies such as manipulation of the immune response to infect vectors and facilitate multiplication and transmission. Furthermore, some of these strategies may be used by pathogens to infect both tick and mammalian hosts. Identification of interactions that promote tick survival, spread, and pathogen transmission provides the opportunity to disrupt these interactions and lead to a reduction in tick burden and the prevalence of tick-borne diseases. Targeting some of the similar mechanisms used by the pathogens for infection and transmission by ticks may assist in development of preventative strategies against multiple tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- José de la Fuente
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain.,Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK, USA
| | - Sandra Antunes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR INRA-ANSES-ENVAMaisons-Alfort, France.,Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Ana G Domingos
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Nicholas Johnson
- Animal and Plant Health AgencySurrey, UK.,Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of SurreyGuildford, UK
| | - Katherine M Kocan
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK, USA
| | - Karen L Mansfield
- Animal and Plant Health AgencySurrey, UK.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Ard M Nijhof
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Anna Papa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiThessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nataliia Rudenko
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Margarita Villar
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Alessandra Torina
- National Center of Reference for Anaplasma, Babesia, Rickettsia and Theileria, Intituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della SiciliaSicily, Italy
| | - Nieves Ayllón
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Marie Vancova
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Maryna Golovchenko
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Santo Caracappa
- National Center of Reference for Anaplasma, Babesia, Rickettsia and Theileria, Intituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della SiciliaSicily, Italy
| | - Anthony R Fooks
- Animal and Plant Health AgencySurrey, UK.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Christian Gortazar
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos CSIC-UCLM-JCCMCiudad Real, Spain
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of ParasitologyCeske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
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20
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Cabezas-Cruz A, Estrada-Peña A, Rego ROM, De la Fuente J. Tick-Pathogen Ensembles: Do Molecular Interactions Lead Ecological Innovation? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:74. [PMID: 28348982 PMCID: PMC5346557 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, ENVAMaisons Alfort, France; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia; Biology Center, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of SciencesČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | | | - Ryan O M Rego
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia; Biology Center, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of SciencesČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - José De la Fuente
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)Ciudad Real, Spain; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK, USA
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21
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Strnad M, Elsterová J, Schrenková J, Vancová M, Rego ROM, Grubhoffer L, Nebesářová J. Correlative cryo-fluorescence and cryo-scanning electron microscopy as a straightforward tool to study host-pathogen interactions. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18029. [PMID: 26658551 PMCID: PMC4674872 DOI: 10.1038/srep18029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Correlative light and electron microscopy is an imaging technique that enables identification and targeting of fluorescently tagged structures with subsequent imaging at near-to-nanometer resolution. We established a novel correlative cryo-fluorescence microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy workflow, which enables imaging of the studied object of interest very close to its natural state, devoid of artifacts caused for instance by slow chemical fixation. This system was tested by investigating the interaction of the zoonotic bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi with two mammalian cell lines of neural origin in order to broaden our knowledge about the cell-association mechanisms that precedes the entry of the bacteria into the cell. This method appears to be an unprecedentedly fast (<3 hours), straightforward, and reliable solution to study the finer details of pathogen-host cell interactions and provides important insights into the complex and dynamic relationship between a pathogen and a host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Strnad
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Elsterová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno CZ-62100, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Schrenková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Vancová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Nebesářová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 1594/7, Praha CZ-12800, Czech Republic
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22
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Tonk M, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdés JJ, Rego ROM, Grubhoffer L, Estrada-Peña A, Vilcinskas A, Kotsyfakis M, Rahnamaeian M. Ixodes ricinus defensins attack distantly-related pathogens. Dev Comp Immunol 2015; 53:358-365. [PMID: 26255244 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic innate immunity. Defensins are a well-known family of antimicrobial peptides, widely distributed in ticks, insects, plants and mammals, showing activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and protozoan parasites. Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and is a vector of pathogens affecting human and animal health. Recently, six defensins (including two isoforms) were identified in I. ricinus. We investigated the evolution of the antimicrobial activity of I. ricinus defensins. Among the five unique defensins, only DefMT3, DefMT5 and DefMT6 showed in vitro antimicrobial activity. Each defensin was active against rather distantly-related bacteria (P < 0.05), significantly among Gram-negative species (P < 0.0001). These three defensins represent different clades within the family of tick defensins, suggesting that the last common ancestor of tick defensins may have had comparable antimicrobial activity. Differences in electrostatic potential, and amino acid substitutions in the β-hairpin and the loop bridging the α-helix and β-sheet may affect the antimicrobial activity in DefMT2 and DefMT7, which needs to be addressed. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of the γ-core motif of selected defensins (DefMT3, DefMT6, and DefMT7) was also tested. Interestingly, compared to full length peptides, the γ-core motifs of these defensins were effective against less species of bacteria. However, the antifungal activity of the γ-core was higher than full peptides. Our results broaden the scope of research in the field of antimicrobial peptides highlighting the overlooked ability of arthropod defensins to act against distantly-related microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Tonk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
| | - James J Valdés
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Michalis Kotsyfakis
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
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23
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Tonk M, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdés JJ, Rego ROM, Chrudimská T, Strnad M, Šíma R, Bell-Sakyi L, Franta Z, Vilcinskas A, Grubhoffer L, Rahnamaeian M. Defensins from the tick Ixodes scapularis are effective against phytopathogenic fungi and the human bacterial pathogen Listeria grayi. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:554. [PMID: 25443032 PMCID: PMC4269947 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0554-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ixodes scapularis is the most common tick species in North America and a vector of important pathogens that cause diseases in humans and animals including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Tick defensins have been identified as a new source of antimicrobial agents with putative medical applications due to their wide-ranging antimicrobial activities. Two multigene families of defensins were previously reported in I. scapularis. The objective of the present study was to characterise the potential antimicrobial activity of two defensins from I. scapularis with emphasis on human pathogenic bacterial strains and important phytopathogenic fungi. METHODS Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 mature peptides were chemically synthesised. In vitro antimicrobial assays were performed to test the activity of these two defensins against species of different bacterial genera including Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Listeria spp. as well as Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa along with two plant-pathogenic fungi from the genus Fusarium. In addition, the tissue-specific expression patterns of Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 in I. scapularis midgut, salivary glands and embryo-derived cell lines were determined using PCR. Finally, tertiary structures of the two defensins were predicted and structural analyses were conducted. RESULTS Scapularisin-6 efficiently killed L. grayi, and both Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 caused strong inhibition (IC50 value: ~1 μM) of the germination of plant-pathogenic fungi Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium graminearum. Scapularisin-6 gene expression was observed in I. scapularis salivary glands and midgut. However, Scapularisin-3 gene expression was only detected in the salivary glands. Transcripts from the two defensins were not found in the I. scapularis tick cell lines ISE6 and ISE18. CONCLUSION Our results have two main implications. Firstly, the anti-Listeria and antifungal activities of Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 suggest that these peptides may be useful for (i) treatment of antibiotic-resistant L. grayi in humans and (ii) plant protection. Secondly, the antimicrobial properties of the two defensins described in this study may pave the way for further studies regarding pathogen invasion and innate immunity in I. scapularis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Tonk
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain. .,Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
| | - James J Valdés
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Chrudimská
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Strnad
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Radek Šíma
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Zdeněk Franta
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394, Giessen, Germany. .,Institute for Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394, Giessen, Germany. .,Institute for Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
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24
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Chrudimská T, Čeřovský V, Slaninová J, Rego ROM, Grubhoffer L. Defensin from the ornate sheep tick Dermacentor marginatus and its effect on Lyme borreliosis spirochetes. Dev Comp Immunol 2014; 46:165-70. [PMID: 24747431 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Revised: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Expression of the previously reported defensin of the tick Dermacentor marginatus (defDM) was analysed in different organs by RT-PCR. mRNA of the defDM gene was detected in the hemolymph, midgut and salivary glands. Moreover defDM was isolated from the tick hemolymph using RP-HPLC and its sequence was determined by mass spectrometry and Edman degradation. Synthetic peptide was used for determining biological activities. The results showed an anti-Gram-positive bacterial role for the defensin. As D. marginatus ticks appear not to be vectors of the Lyme disease agent of the complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, we tested the influence of defDM on Borrelia afzelii. There is a very clear borrelicidal activity of the defensin, which is concentration dependent and suggests a possible role in the clearing of Borrelia ingested by D. marginatus ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Chrudimská
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Václav Čeřovský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jiřina Slaninová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Rego ROM, Bestor A, Štefka J, Rosa PA. Population bottlenecks during the infectious cycle of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101009. [PMID: 24979342 PMCID: PMC4076273 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is a zoonotic pathogen whose maintenance in nature depends upon an infectious cycle that alternates between a tick vector and mammalian hosts. Lyme disease in humans results from transmission of B. burgdorferi by the bite of an infected tick. The population dynamics of B. burgdorferi throughout its natural infectious cycle are not well understood. We addressed this topic by assessing the colonization, dissemination and persistence of B. burgdorferi within and between the disparate mammalian and tick environments. To follow bacterial populations during infection, we generated seven isogenic but distinguishable B. burgdorferi clones, each with a unique sequence tag. These tags resulted in no phenotypic changes relative to wild type organisms, yet permitted highly sensitive and specific detection of individual clones by PCR. We followed the composition of the spirochete population throughout an experimental infectious cycle that was initiated with a mixed inoculum of all clones. We observed heterogeneity in the spirochete population disseminating within mice at very early time points, but all clones displayed the ability to colonize most mouse tissues by 3 weeks of infection. The complexity of clones subsequently declined as murine infection persisted. Larval ticks typically acquired a reduced and variable number of clones relative to what was present in infected mice at the time of tick feeding, and maintained the same spirochete population through the molt to nymphs. However, only a random subset of infectious spirochetes was transmitted to naïve mice when these ticks next fed. Our results clearly demonstrate that the spirochete population experiences stochastic bottlenecks during both acquisition and transmission by the tick vector, as well as during persistent infection of its murine host. The experimental system that we have developed can be used to further explore the forces that shape the population of this vector-borne bacterial pathogen throughout its infectious cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O. M. Rego
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Aaron Bestor
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jan Štefka
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, ASCR, Biology Centre, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Patricia A. Rosa
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
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Tonk M, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdés JJ, Rego ROM, Rudenko N, Golovchenko M, Bell-Sakyi L, de la Fuente J, Grubhoffer L. Identification and partial characterisation of new members of the Ixodes ricinus defensin family. Gene 2014; 540:146-52. [PMID: 24607035 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Revised: 01/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The hard-bodied tick Ixodes ricinus (castor bean tick) is the most common tick species in Europe. I. ricinus is a vector of the causative agents of diseases that affect humans and animals including tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, tick-borne fever and babesiosis. The innate immune system provides ticks with quite an efficient defence against some pathogenic microorganisms in the event of their penetration into the tick body or through the blood meal. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute an important feature of the tick immune system. Defensins are a well-known class of AMPs. Members of the defensin family of proteins have been reported in several tick species. So far, only two defensins had been identified from I. ricinus. In this study, we report the identification of six novel putative defensins from I. ricinus at the genomic and transcriptional levels. At the genomic level they show differences with one being intronless, while others contain two introns. The expression pattern of these molecules in the salivary glands, midgut, ovary, Malpighian tubules, haemolymph and the tick cell line IRE/CTVM19 was determined. Some of them are tissue specific while others seem to be ubiquitous. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses show that these novel members of the I. ricinus defensin family differ phylogenetically and structurally; nevertheless, the cysteine pattern is highly conserved among the family members. Finally, antimicrobial-peptide prediction tools were used to predict putative antimicrobial activity of our defensins. They show putative antimicrobial activity mainly against Gram-positive bacteria. This study displays the diversity of the defensin family in the tick I. ricinus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Tonk
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - James J Valdés
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Nataliia Rudenko
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Maryna Golovchenko
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | | | - José de la Fuente
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; SaBio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Sprong H, Trentelman J, Seemann I, Grubhoffer L, Rego ROM, Hajdušek O, Kopáček P, Šíma R, Nijhof AM, Anguita J, Winter P, Rotter B, Havlíková S, Klempa B, Schetters TP, Hovius JWR. ANTIDotE: anti-tick vaccines to prevent tick-borne diseases in Europe. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:77. [PMID: 24559082 PMCID: PMC3933510 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus transmits bacterial, protozoal and viral pathogens, causing disease and forming an increasing health concern in Europe. ANTIDotE is an European Commission funded consortium of seven institutes, which aims to identify and characterize tick proteins involved in feeding and pathogen transmission. The knowledge gained will be used to develop and evaluate anti-tick vaccines that may prevent multiple human tick-borne diseases. Strategies encompassing anti-tick vaccines to prevent transmission of pathogens to humans, animals or wildlife will be developed with relevant stakeholders with the ultimate aim of reducing the incidence of tick-borne diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hein Sprong
- The National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
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Rego ROM, Kovár V, Kopácek P, Weise C, Man P, Sauman I, Grubhoffer L. The tick plasma lectin, Dorin M, is a fibrinogen-related molecule. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2006; 36:291-9. [PMID: 16551543 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2006.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
A lectin, named Dorin M, previously isolated and characterized from the hemolymph plasma of the soft tick, Ornithodoros moubata, was cloned and sequenced. The immunofluorescence using confocal microscopy revealed that Dorin M is produced in the tick hemocytes. A tryptic cleavage of Dorin M was performed and the resulting peptide fragments were sequenced by Edman degradation and/or mass spectrometry. Two of three internal peptide sequences displayed a significant similarity to the family of fibrinogen-related molecules. Degenerate primers were designed and used for PCR with hemocyte cDNA as a template. The sequence of the whole Dorin M cDNA was completed by the method of RACE. The tissue-specific expression investigated by RT-PCR revealed that Dorin M, in addition to hemocytes, is significantly expressed in salivary glands. The derived amino-acid sequence clearly shows that Dorin M has a fibrinogen-like domain, and exhibited the most significant similarity with tachylectins 5A and 5B from a horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus. In addition, other protein and binding characteristics suggest that Dorin M is closely related to tachylectins-5. Since these lectins have been reported to function as non-self recognizing molecules, we believe that Dorin M may play a similar role in an innate immunity of the tick and, possibly, also in pathogen transmission by this vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Branisovská 31, Ceské Budĕjovice 370 05, Czech Republic
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Rego ROM, Hajdusek O, Kovár V, Kopácek P, Grubhoffer L, Hypsa V. Molecular cloning and comparative analysis of fibrinogen-related proteins from the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata and the hard tick Ixodes ricinus. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2005; 35:991-1004. [PMID: 15979000 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2005.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2005] [Revised: 04/07/2005] [Accepted: 04/08/2005] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Among disease-vectors, the evolution of the tick innate immune system is still lagging when compared to insects. Such an investigation, which was initiated, by first cloning and sequencing lectins associated in the innate immunity of invertebrates and having fibrinogen related domains, helped in the sequencing of cDNA encoding for OMFREP from the soft tick, Ornithodoros moubata. Also obtained were Ixoderin A and Ixoderin B cDNA sequences from the hard tick Ixodes ricinus. Tissue-specific expression of OMFREP showed that it was present primarily in the hemocytes and salivary glands. Ixoderin A besides sharing a similar expression profile was also expressed in the midgut. Both showed significantly high homology to the lectin Dorin M, from O. moubata. Further, phylogenetic comparisons between these molecules of the soft and hard ticks showed their relatedness to Tachylectins 5A and 5B, involved in the innate immunity of Tachypleus tridentatus and ficolins from both vertebrates and invertebrates. Ixoderin B showing tissue-specific expression only in the salivary glands and the sequence displaying certain motif differences in homology point towards a possible function different from the other two molecules. This is the first report of lectin-like sequences, with a fibrinogen-domain, from the hard tick I. ricinus and a preliminary phylogenetic study of these tick sequences with related fibrinogen-domain containing sequences highlights a possible role for them in the innate immunity of the ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O M Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Branisovská 31, Ceské Budejovice, 370 05, Czech Republic.
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Hypsa V, Tietz DF, Zrzavý J, Rego ROM, Galvao C, Jurberg J. Phylogeny and biogeography of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): molecular evidence of a New World origin of the Asiatic clade. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2002; 23:447-57. [PMID: 12099798 DOI: 10.1016/s1055-7903(02)00023-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The most representative sample of molecular data, especially 16S and 12S rDNAs, is used to study the phylogeny and evolution of 57 species of three tribes, Rhodniini, Linshcosteini, and Triatomini, of the subfamily Triatominae. For the first time both New World and Old World species are brought together in a single phylogenetic analysis. Maximum-parsimony and distance estimation place both the Asiatic representatives, Linshcosteus and Triatoma rubrofasciata, as sister groups. The Linshcosteus-T. rubrofasciata clade nests firmly within Triatomini, in most analyses branching as a basalmost lineage, thus supporting a monophyletic origin of Triatominae. A paraphyly of "Triatoma" with respect to Linshcosteus, Dipetalogaster, Eratyrus, and Panstrongylus and the paraphyly of "Rhodnius" with respect to Psammolestes is observed in most of the analyses. Reinterpretation of triatomine biogeography points to the origin of Triatominae in northern areas of South America, in Central America, or in the southern region of North America. A few taxonomic changes are proposed: (1) reinclusion of Linshcosteus in Triatomini, (2) inclusion of Psammolestes in Rhodnius, (3) elevation of the "T. flavida complex" to the full genus Nesotriatoma (including N. flavida, N. bruneri, and N. obscura), (4) inclusion of the "T. spinolai complex" in Mepraia (including M. spinolai, M. gajardoi, M. eratyrusiformis, and M. breyeri), and (5) inclusion of "T." dimidiata in Meccus (M. dimidiatus).
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Affiliation(s)
- Václav Hypsa
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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