| uncoordinated phylogeography of borrelia burgdorferi and its tick vector, ixodes scapularis. | vector-borne microbes necessarily co-occur with their hosts and vectors, but the degree to which they share common evolutionary or biogeographic histories remains unexplored. we examine the congruity of the evolutionary and biogeographic histories of the bacterium and vector of the lyme disease system, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in north america. in the eastern and midwestern us, ixodes scapularis ticks are the primary vectors of borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes lyme ... | 2010 | 20394659 |
| translocation of borrelia burgdorferi surface lipoprotein ospa through the outer membrane requires an unfolded conformation and can initiate at the c-terminus. | borrelia burgdorferi surface lipoproteins are essential to the pathogenesis of lyme borreliosis, but the mechanisms responsible for their localization are only beginning to emerge. we have previously demonstrated the critical nature of the amino-terminal 'tether' domain of the mature lipoprotein for sorting a fluorescent reporter to the borrelia cell surface. here, we show that individual deletion of four contiguous residues within the tether of major surface lipoprotein ospa results in its inef ... | 2010 | 20398211 |
| identification of two small heat shock proteins with different response profile to cadmium and pathogen stresses in venerupis philippinarum. | small heat shock proteins (shsps) encompass a widespread and diverse class of proteins with molecular chaperone activity. in the present study, two shsp isoforms (vpshsp-1 and vpshsp-2) were cloned from venerupis philippinarum haemocytes by rapid amplification of cdna ends (race) approaches. the expression profiles of these two genes under vibrio anguillarum challenge and cadmium exposure were investigated by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. the bacterial c ... | 2010 | 20405260 |
| rapid identification of vector-borne flaviviruses by mass spectrometry. | flaviviruses are a highly diverse group of rna viruses classified within the genus flavivirus, family flaviviridae. most flaviviruses are arthropod-borne, requiring a mosquito or tick vector. several flaviviruses are highly pathogenic to humans; however, their high genetic diversity and immunological relatedness makes them extremely challenging to diagnose. in this study, we developed and evaluated a broad-range flavivirus assay designed to detect both tick- and mosquito-borne flaviviruses by us ... | 2010 | 20412852 |
| an invertebrate mdm homolog interacts with p53 and is differentially expressed together with p53 and ras in neoplastic mytilus trossulus haemocytes. | the mussel mytilus trossulus can develop a neoplasia of the haemolymph, which occurs with high frequency (up to 40%) in nature. associated with this disease are pro-apoptotic tumor-suppressor protein p53 isoforms, which are highly conserved between molluscs and vertebrates. the vertebrate wildtype p53 protein is maintained at low levels by the mdm2 protein in non-stressed cells to prevent undesired apoptosis. identification of a putative invertebrate mdm-like homolog suggests early evolution of ... | 2010 | 20417299 |
| active and passive surveillance and phylogenetic analysis of borrelia burgdorferi elucidate the process of lyme disease risk emergence in canada. | northward expansion of the tick ixodes scapularis is driving lyme disease (ld) emergence in canada. information on mechanisms involved is needed to enhance surveillance and identify where ld risk is emerging. | 2010 | 20421192 |
| role of the surface lipoprotein bba07 in the enzootic cycle of borrelia burgdorferi. | borrelia burgdorferi, the lyme disease pathogen, dramatically alters its protein profile when it is transmitted between ticks and mammals. several differentially expressed proteins have been shown to be critical for the enzootic cycle of b. burgdorferi. in this study, we demonstrated that expression of the surface lipoprotein-encoding gene bba07 is induced by an elevated temperature and a reduced ph during in vitro cultivation, as well as during nymphal tick feeding. expression of bba07 is regul ... | 2010 | 20421380 |
| lyme disease: a review. | lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the united states and is also endemic in europe and asia. it is caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by the bite of the ixodes (deer) tick. it occurs most frequently during spring and summer and may involve the skin, nervous system, heart, and joints. this article reviews the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of lyme disease. | 2010 | 20425509 |
| the novel membrane protein tmem59 modulates complex glycosylation, cell surface expression, and secretion of the amyloid precursor protein. | ectodomain shedding of the amyloid precursor protein (app) by the two proteases alpha- and beta-secretase is a key regulatory event in the generation of the alzheimer disease amyloid beta peptide (abeta). at present, little is known about the cellular mechanisms that control app shedding and abeta generation. here, we identified a novel protein, transmembrane protein 59 (tmem59), as a new modulator of app shedding. tmem59 was found to be a ubiquitously expressed, golgi-localized protein. tmem59 ... | 2010 | 20427278 |
| homogeneity of powassan virus populations in naturally infected ixodes scapularis. | powassan virus (powv, flaviviridae: flavivirus) is the sole north american member of the tick-borne encephalitis complex and consists of two distinct lineages that are maintained in ecologically discrete enzootic transmission cycles. the underlying genetic mechanisms that lead to niche partitioning in arboviruses are poorly understood. therefore, intra- and interhost genetic diversity was analyzed to determine if powv exists as a quasispecies in nature and quantify selective pressures within and ... | 2010 | 20434750 |
| functional characterization of a phospholipase a(2) homolog from rickettsia typhi. | phospholipase a(2) (pla(2)) has long been proposed to be involved in rickettsial entry into host cells, escape from the phagosome to evade destruction by lysosomal exposure, and lysis of the host cells. however, the corresponding rickettsial gene(s) encoding a protein with pla(2) activity has not been identified or functionally characterized. here, we report that the rickettsia typhi genome possesses two genes encoding patatin-like pla(2) proteins, rt0590 and rt0522. sequence analysis of rt0522 ... | 2010 | 20435729 |
| identification of anaplasma marginale proteins specifically upregulated during colonization of the tick vector. | the transition between infection of the mammalian host and colonization of an arthropod vector is required for the ongoing transmission of a broad array of pathogens, from viruses to protozoa. understanding how this transition is mediated provides opportunities to disrupt transmission through either chemotherapy or immunization. we used an unbiased proteomic screen to identify anaplasma marginale proteins specifically upregulated in the tick compared to the mammalian host. comparative mass spect ... | 2010 | 20439479 |
| analysis of a borrelia burgdorferi phosphodiesterase demonstrates a role for cyclic-di-guanosine monophosphate in motility and virulence. | the genome of borrelia burgdorferi encodes a set of genes putatively involved in cyclic-dimeric guanosine monophosphate (cyclic-di-gmp) metabolism. although bb0419 was shown to be a diguanylate cyclase, the extent to which bb0419 or any of the putative cyclic-di-gmp metabolizing genes impact b. burgdorferi motility and pathogenesis has not yet been reported. here we identify and characterize a phosphodiesterase (bb0363). bb0363 specifically hydrolyzed cyclic-di-gmp with a k(m) of 0.054 microm, c ... | 2010 | 20444101 |
| pd-1 on immature and pd-1 ligands on migratory human langerhans cells regulate antigen-presenting cell activity. | langerhans cells (lcs) are known as "sentinels" of the immune system that function as professional antigen-presenting cells (apcs) after migration to draining lymph node. lcs are proposed to have a role in tolerance and the resolution of cutaneous immune responses. the programmed death-1 (pd-1) receptor and its ligands, pd-l1 and pd-l2, are a co-inhibitory pathway that contributes to the negative regulation of t-lymphocyte activation and peripheral tolerance. surprisingly, we found pd-1 to be ex ... | 2010 | 20445553 |
| bacterial pathogens in ixodid ticks from a piedmont county in north carolina: prevalence of rickettsial organisms. | in north carolina, reported human cases of tick-borne illness, specifically rocky mountain spotted fever, have escalated over the past decade. to determine the relative abundance of vectors and to estimate the risk of acquiring a tick-borne illness in peri-residential landscapes, ticks were collected in chatham county, a typical piedmont county and, samples of the ticks were tested for infection with selected bacterial pathogens using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays. tick ... | 2010 | 20455778 |
| phantom, a new subclass of mutator dna transposons found in insect viruses and widely distributed in animals. | transposons of the mutator (mu) superfamily have been shown to play a critical role in the evolution of plant genomes. however, the identification of mutator transposons in other eukaryotes has been quite limited. here we describe a previously uncharacterized group of dna transposons designated phantom identified in the genomes of a wide range of eukaryotic taxa, including many animals, and provide evidence for its inclusion within the mutator superfamily. interestingly three phantom proteins we ... | 2010 | 20457878 |
| massively parallel pyrosequencing-based transcriptome analyses of small brown planthopper (laodelphax striatellus), a vector insect transmitting rice stripe virus (rsv). | the small brown planthopper (laodelphax striatellus) is an important agricultural pest that not only damages rice plants by sap-sucking, but also acts as a vector that transmits rice stripe virus (rsv), which can cause even more serious yield loss. despite being a model organism for studying entomology, population biology, plant protection, molecular interactions among plants, viruses and insects, only a few genomic sequences are available for this species. to investigate its transcriptome and d ... | 2010 | 20462456 |
| detection of anaplasma marginale and a. phagocytophilum in bovine peripheral blood samples by duplex real-time reverse transcriptase pcr assay. | insufficient diagnostic sensitivity and specificity coupled with the potential for cross-reactivity among closely related anaplasma species has made the accurate determination of infection status problematic. a method for the development of simplex and duplex real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase pcr (qrt-pcr) assays for the detection of a. marginale and a. phagocytophilum 16s rrna in plasma-free bovine peripheral blood samples is described. the duplex assay was able to detect as few as 1 ... | 2010 | 20463162 |
| host associations of dermacentor, amblyomma, and ixodes (acari: ixodidae) ticks in tennessee. | from april 2007 to september 2008, 1,793 adult and nymphal ixodid ticks were collected from 49 counties in tennessee. six species were identified, including dermacentor variabilis (say), amblyomma americanum (l.), ixodes texanus (banks), ixodes cookei packard, ixodes scapularis (say), and amblyomma maculatum koch, from 13 medium- to large-sized mammalian hosts and dragging through vegetation. raccoons were the most common vertebrate source (198 captures), accounting for 60% of ticks collected. d ... | 2010 | 20496589 |
| forest and surface water as predictors of borrelia burgdorferi and its vector ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) in indiana. | the objective of this study was to assess whether the distribution of borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, and its vector tick ixodes scapularis say (acari: ixodidae) across indiana is influenced by large-scale landscape features, specifically the proportion of forest within the surrounding landscape and the distance to water features such as lakes and major streams. hunter-killed deer were checked for ticks in designated check-stations in the opening firearm hunting season ... | 2010 | 20496594 |
| genotypic variation and mixtures of lyme borrelia in ixodes ticks from north america and europe. | lyme disease, caused by various species of borrelia, is transmitted by ixodes ticks in north america and europe. studies have shown the genotype of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) or the species of b. burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) affects the ability of the bacteria to cause local or disseminated infection in humans. | 2010 | 20498837 |
| potential of medicinal plants in mosquito control. | medicinal plants have long history as important components in traditional medicine, and food of humans since ancient egyptians and chinese. naturally occurring botanical compounds contain a broad range of chemical active ingredients can intervene in all biological processes of the mosquito, thus interrupt its life cycle and dispersal and reduce harms to humans and animals. many medicinal plants were tested for their pesticide and repellent potential, as crude material, essential oils or individu ... | 2010 | 20503582 |
| evolution of northeastern and midwestern borrelia burgdorferi, united states. | the per capita incidence of human lyme disease in the northeastern united states is more than twice that in the midwest. however, the prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes lyme disease, in the tick vector is nearly identical in the 2 regions. the disparity in human lyme disease incidence may result from a disparity in the human invasiveness of the bacteria in the northeast and midwest caused by fundamentally different evolutionary histories. b. burgdorferi populations in ... | 2010 | 20507740 |
| savicalin, a lipocalin from hemocytes of the soft tick, ornithodoros savignyi. | savicalin, is a lipocalin found in the hemocytes of the soft tick, ornithodoros savignyi. it could be assigned to the tick lipocalin family based on blast analysis. savicalin is the first non-salivary gland lipocalin described in ticks. the mature sequence is composed of 188 amino acids with a molecular mass of 21481.9 da. a homolog for savicalin was found in a whole body est-library from a related soft tick o. porcinus, while other tick salivary gland derived lipocalins retrieved from the non-r ... | 2010 | 20512614 |
| human ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. | human ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are acute febrile tick-borne diseases caused by various members of the genera ehrlichia and anaplasma (anaplasmataceae). human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis has become one of the most prevalent life-threatening tick-borne disease in the united states. ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are becoming more frequently diagnosed as the cause of human infections, as animal reservoirs and tick vectors have increased in number and humans have inhabited areas where reservoir ... | 2010 | 20513551 |
| lyme disease. | lyme disease, caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in the united states. the clinical presentation varies depending on the stage of the illness: early disease includes erthyma migrans, early disseminated disease includes multiple erythema migrans, meningitis, cranial nerve palsies, and carditis; late disease is primarily arthritis. the symptoms and signs of infection resolve in most patients after treatment with appropriate antimicrobials for 2 t ... | 2010 | 20513553 |
| the expression of genes coding for distinct types of glycine-rich proteins varies according to the biology of three metastriate ticks, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus, rhipicephalus sanguineus and amblyomma cajennense. | ticks secrete a cement cone composed of many salivary proteins, some of which are rich in the amino acid glycine in order to attach to their hosts' skin. glycine-rich proteins (grps) are a large family of heterogeneous proteins that have different functions and features; noteworthy are their adhesive and tensile characteristics. these properties may be essential for successful attachment of the metastriate ticks to the host and the prolonged feeding necessary for engorgement. in this work, we an ... | 2010 | 20529354 |
| a spatially-explicit model of acarological risk of exposure to borrelia burgdorferi-infected ixodes pacificus nymphs in northwestern california based on woodland type, temperature, and water vapor. | in the far-western united states, the nymphal stage of the western black-legged tick, ixodes pacificus, has been implicated as the primary vector to humans of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (hereinafter referred to as b. burgdorferi), the causative agent of lyme borreliosis in north america. in the present study, we sought to determine if infection prevalence with b. burgdorferi in i. pacificus nymphs and the density of infected nymphs differ between dense-woodland types within mendocino cou ... | 2010 | 20532183 |
| crystal structure and functional characterization of an immunomodulatory salivary cystatin from the soft tick ornithodoros moubata. | the saliva of blood-feeding parasites is a rich source of peptidase inhibitors that help to overcome the host's defence during host-parasite interactions. using proteomic analysis, the cystatin omc2 was demonstrated in the saliva of the soft tick ornithodoros moubata, an important disease vector transmitting african swine fever virus and the spirochaete borrelia duttoni. a structural, biochemical and biological characterization of this peptidase inhibitor was undertaken in the present study. rec ... | 2010 | 20545626 |
| the crystal structures of two salivary cystatins from the tick ixodes scapularis and the effect of these inhibitors on the establishment of borrelia burgdorferi infection in a murine model. | we have previously demonstrated that two salivary cysteine protease inhibitors from the borrelia burgdorferi (lyme disease) vector ixodes scapularis- namely sialostatins l and l2 - play an important role in tick biology, as demonstrated by the fact that silencing of both sialostatins in tandem results in severe feeding defects. here we show that sialostatin l2 - but not sialostatin l - facilitates the growth of b. burgdorferi in murine skin. to examine the structural basis underlying these diffe ... | 2010 | 20545851 |
| bmpa is a surface-exposed outer-membrane protein of borrelia burgdorferi. | bmpa is an immunodominant protein of borrelia burgdorferi as well as an arthritogenic factor. rabbit antirecombinant bmpa (rbmpa) antibodies were raised, characterized by assaying their cross reactivity with rbmpb, rbmpc and rbmpd, and then rendered monospecific by absorption with rbmpb. this monospecific reagent reacted only with rbmpa in dot immunobinding and detected a single 39 kda, pi 5.0, spot on two-dimensional immunoblots. it was used to assess the bmpa cellular location. bmpa was presen ... | 2010 | 20546313 |
| interaction of rickettsia felis with histone h2b facilitates the infection of a tick cell line. | haematophagous arthropods are the primary vectors in the transmission of rickettsia, yet the molecular mechanisms mediating the rickettsial infection of arthropods remain elusive. this study utilized a biotinylated protein pull-down assay together with lc-ms/ms to identify interaction between ixodes scapularis histone h2b and rickettsia felis. co-immunoprecipitation of histone with rickettsial cell lysate demonstrated the association of h2b with r. felis proteins, including outer-membrane protei ... | 2010 | 20558510 |
| quantum of infection of francisella tularensis tularensis in host-seeking dermacentor variabilis. | the american dog tick, dermacentor variabilis, is fundamental to the perpetuation of francisella tularensis tularensis on martha's vineyard, massachusetts, u.s.a. although infected ticks are relatively common on the island, human cases deriving from tick bite are rare. it may be that the quantum of bacteria within these naturally infected ticks is frequently too small to cause disease. accordingly, we quantified the amount of f.t. tularensis bacteria in host-seeking ticks from the island. contra ... | 2010 | 20563231 |
| five hundred microsatellite loci for peromyscus. | mice of the genus peromyscus, including several endangered subspecies, occur throughout north america and have been important models for conservation research. we describe 526 primer pairs that amplify microsatellite dna loci for p. maniculatus bairdii, 467 of which also amplify in p. polionotus subgriseus. for 12 of these loci, we report diversity data from a natural population. these markers will be an important resource for future genomic studies of peromyscus evolution and mammalian conserva ... | 2010 | 20563244 |
| borrelia burgdorferi has minimal impact on the lyme disease reservoir host peromyscus leucopus. | the epidemiology of vector-borne zoonotic diseases is determined by encounter rates between vectors and hosts. alterations to the behavior of reservoir hosts caused by the infectious agent have the potential to dramatically alter disease transmission and human risk. we examined the effect of borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of lyme disease, on one of its most important reservoir hosts, the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus. we mimic natural infections in mice using the vector (b ... | 2011 | 20569016 |
| potential influence of climate change on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases: a review and proposed research plan. | because of complex interactions of climate variables at the levels of the pathogen, vector, and host, the potential influence of climate change on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases (vbzds) is poorly understood and difficult to predict. climate effects on the nonvector-borne zoonotic diseases are especially obscure and have received scant treatment. | 2010 | 20576580 |
| attachment site selection of ticks on roe deer, capreolus capreolus. | the spatio-temporal attachment site patterns of ticks feeding on their hosts can be of significance if co-feeding transmission (i.e. from tick to tick without a systemic infection of the host) of pathogens affects the persistence of a given disease. using tick infestation data on roe deer, we analysed preferred attachment sites and niche width of ixodes ticks (larvae, nymphs, males, females) and investigated the degree of inter- and intrastadial aggregation. the different development stages show ... | 2011 | 20585837 |
| a quantitative comparison of two sample methods for collecting amblyomma americanum and dermacentor variabilis (acari: ixodidae) in missouri. | in studies of tick communities, sampling methodology may influence observed patterns. the objective of this study was to compare two sampling methods, dragging and dry ice baiting, in two habitats to assess abundance of off-host ticks. tick communities were monitored from march to december in a forested and an old-field habitat in northeast missouri. in each habitat, eight drag and eight dry ice bait samples were collected every 2 weeks on a permanent grid. the most common ticks collected were a ... | 2010 | 20585839 |
| fatal babesiosis in man, finland, 2004. | we report an unusual case of human babesiosis in finland in a 53-year-old man with no history of splenectomy. he had a rudimentary spleen, coexisting lyme borreliosis, exceptional dark streaks on his extremities, and subsequent disseminated aspergillosis. he was infected with babesia divergens, which usually causes bovine babesiosis in finland. | 2010 | 20587183 |
| geographic differences in genetic locus linkages for borrelia burgdorferi. | borrelia burdorferi genotype in the northeastern united states is associated with lyme borreliosis severity. analysis of dna sequences of the outer surface protein c gene and rrs-rrla intergenic spacer from extracts of ixodes spp. ticks in 3 us regions showed linkage disequilibrium between the 2 loci within a region but not consistently between regions. | 2010 | 20587192 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum aph_0032 is expressed late during infection and localizes to the pathogen-occupied vacuolar membrane. | anaplasma phagocytophilum infects neutrophils and myeloid, endothelial, and tick cell lines to reside within a host cell-derived vacuole that is indispensible for its survival. here, we identify aph_0032 as an anaplasma-derived protein that associates with the a. phagocytophilum-occupied vacuolar membrane (avm). aph_0032 is a 66.1 kda acidic protein that electrophoretically migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 130 kda. it contains a predicted transmembrane domain and tandemly arranged d ... | 2010 | 20600793 |
| tracking the deer tick: emerging lyme disease threat in canada. | | 2010 | 20601318 |
| distinct pathogenesis and host responses during infection of c. elegans by p. aeruginosa and s. aureus. | the genetically tractable model host caenorhabditis elegans provides a valuable tool to dissect host-microbe interactions in vivo. pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aureus utilize virulence factors involved in human disease to infect and kill c. elegans. despite much progress, virtually nothing is known regarding the cytopathology of infection and the proximate causes of nematode death. using light and electron microscopy, we found that p. aeruginosa infection entails intestinal distenti ... | 2010 | 20617181 |
| detection of lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, including three novel genotypes in ticks (acari: ixodidae) collected from songbirds (passeriformes) across canada. | lyme disease is reported across canada, but pinpointing the source of infection has been problematic. in this three-year, bird-tick-pathogen study (2004-2006), 366 ticks representing 12 species were collected from 151 songbirds (31 passerine species/subspecies) at 16 locations canada-wide. of the 167 ticks/pools tested, 19 (11.4%) were infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.). sequencing of the rrf-rrl intergenic spacer gene revealed four borrelia genotypes: b. burgdorferi sensu stri ... | 2010 | 20618658 |
| recent discovery of widespread ixodes affinis (acari: ixodidae) distribution in north carolina with implications for lyme disease studies. | ixodes affinis, which is similar morphologically to ixodes scapularis, is widely distributed in north carolina. collections have documented this species in 32 of 41 coastal plain counties, but no piedmont or mountain counties. this coastal plain distribution is similar to its distribution in georgia and south carolina, where it is considered an enzootic vector of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. an updated list of hosts for i. affinis in the u.s.a. is included, increasing the number to 15 mam ... | 2010 | 20618664 |
| molecular epidemiology of powassan virus in north america. | powassan virus (pow) is a tick-borne flavivirus distributed in canada, the northern usa and the primorsky region of russia. pow is the only tick-borne flavivirus endemic to the western hemisphere, where it is transmitted mainly between ixodes cookei and groundhogs (marmota monax). deer tick virus (dtv), a genotype of pow that has been frequently isolated from deer ticks (ixodes scapularis), appears to be maintained in an enzootic cycle between these ticks and white-footed mice (peromyscus leucop ... | 2010 | 20631087 |
| bm86 homologues and novel ataq proteins with multiple epidermal growth factor (egf)-like domains from hard and soft ticks. | tick control on livestock relies principally on the use of acaricides but the development of acaricide resistance and concerns for environmental pollution underscore the need for alternative control methods, for instance through the use of anti-tick vaccines. two commercial vaccines based on the recombinant bm86 protein from rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus ticks were developed. partial protection of the bm86 vaccine against other rhipicephalus (boophilus) and hyalomma tick species suggests t ... | 2010 | 20647015 |
| an insight into the sialotranscriptome of the brown dog tick, rhipicephalus sanguineus. | rhipicephalus sanguineus, known as the brown dog tick, is a common ectoparasite of domestic dogs and can be found worldwide. r.sanguineus is recognized as the primary vector of the etiological agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis. here we present the first description of a r. sanguineus salivary gland transcriptome by the production and analysis of 2,034 expressed sequence tags (est) from two cdna libraries, one consctructed using mrna from dissected salivary glands from ... | 2010 | 20650005 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum induces actin phosphorylation to selectively regulate gene transcription in ixodes scapularis ticks. | anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human anaplasmosis, persists in ticks and mammals. we show that a. phagocytophilum induces the phosphorylation of actin in an ixodes ricinus tick cell line and ixodes scapularis ticks, to alter the ratio of monomeric/filamentous (g/f) actin. a. phagocytophilum-induced actin phosphorylation was dependent on ixodes p21-activated kinase (ipak1)-mediated signaling. a. phagocytophilum stimulated ipak1 activity via the g protein-coupled receptor gbetagamma subun ... | 2010 | 20660616 |
| persistence of pathogens with short infectious periods in seasonal tick populations: the relative importance of three transmission routes. | the flaviviruses causing tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) persist at low but consistent levels in tick populations, despite short infectious periods in their mammalian hosts and transmission periods constrained by distinctly seasonal tick life cycles. in addition to systemic and vertical transmission, cofeeding transmission has been proposed as an important route for the persistence of tbe-causing viruses. because cofeeding transmission requires ticks to feed simultaneously, the timing of tick acti ... | 2010 | 20668521 |
| a gc1qr prevents white spot syndrome virus replication in the freshwater crayfish pacifastacus leniusculus. | the gc1qr/p32 protein is a multiple receptor for several proteins and pathogens. we cloned a gc1qr homologue in a crustacean, pacifastacus leniusculus, and analyzed the expression of p. leniusculus c1qr (plgc1qr) in various tissues. the gc1qr/p32 transcript was significantly enhanced by white spot syndrome virus (wssv) infection 6 h after viral infection both in vitro in a hematopoietic tissue cell culture (hpt) and in vivo compared to appropriate controls. moreover, plgc1qr silencing in both th ... | 2010 | 20686021 |
| seasonal prevalence of serum antibodies to whole cell and recombinant antigens of borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum in white-tailed deer in connecticut. | whole-blood samples were obtained from 214 white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) representing 44 sites in connecticut (usa) during 1992, 1993, 1996, 1999, and 2000 through 2006. sera were analyzed for total antibodies to whole-cell or recombinant antigens of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and anaplasma phagocytophilum, the respective causative agents of lyme borreliosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. deer sera contained antibodies to both bacteria during different seasons and thro ... | 2010 | 20688684 |
| trial of a minimal-risk botanical compound to control the vector tick of lyme disease. | we compared the application of ic2, a minimal-risk (25b) botanical compound containing 10% rosemary oil, with bifenthrin, a commonly used synthetic compound, and with water for the control of ixodes scapularis say (= ixodes dammini spielman, clifford, piesman & corwin), on tick-infested grids in maine, in an area where lyme disease is established and other tick-borne diseases are emerging. high-pressure sprays of ic2, bifenthrin, and water were applied during the peak nymphal (july) and adult (o ... | 2010 | 20695287 |
| identification of testis-relevant genes using in silico analysis from testis ests and cdna microarray in the black tiger shrimp (penaeus monodon). | poor reproductive maturation of the black tiger shrimp (penaeus monodon) in captivity is one of the serious threats to sustainability of the shrimp farming industry. understanding molecular mechanisms governing reproductive maturation processes requires the fundamental knowledge of integrated expression profiles in gonads of this economically important species. in p. monodon, a non-model species for which the genome sequence is not available, expressed sequence tag (est) and cdna microarray anal ... | 2010 | 20696033 |
| the ralb-rlip76 complex reveals a novel mode of ral-effector interaction. | rlip76 (ralbp1) is a multidomain protein that interacts with multiple small g protein families: ral via a specific binding domain, and rho and r-ras via a gtpase activating domain. rlip76 interacts with endocytosis proteins and has also been shown to behave as a membrane atpase that transports chemotherapeutic agents from the cell. we have determined the structure of the ral-binding domain of rlip76 and show that it comprises a coiled-coil motif. the structure of the rlip76-ralb complex reveals ... | 2010 | 20696399 |
| lessons from australia: human papillomavirus is not a major risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. | | 2010 | 20696658 |
| characterization of unique regions of borrelia burgdorferi surface-located membrane protein 1. | the pathogen of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi, produces a putative surface protein termed "surface-located membrane protein 1" (lmp1). lmp1 has been shown previously to assist the microbe in evasion of host-acquired immune defenses and in the establishment of persistent infection of mammals. here, we show that lmp1 is an integral membrane protein with surface-exposed n-terminal, middle, and c-terminal regions. during murine infection, antibodies recognizing these three protein regions were ... | 2010 | 20696833 |
| application of highly sensitive saturation labeling to the analysis of differential protein expression in infected ticks from limited samples. | abstract: | 2010 | 20704695 |
| determinants of tick-borne encephalitis in counties of southern germany, 2001-2008. | tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) virus can cause severe symptoms in humans. the incidence of this vector-borne pathogen in humans is characterised by spatial and temporal heterogeneity. to explain the variation in reported human tbe cases per county in southern germany, we designed a time-lagged, spatially-explicit model that incorporates ecological, environmental, and climatic factors. | 2010 | 20707897 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum apta modulates erk1/2 signalling. | anaplasma phagocytophilum causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, one of the most common tick-borne diseases in north america. this unusual obligate intracellular pathogen selectively persists within polymorphonuclear leucocytes. in this study, using the yeast surrogate model we identified an a. phagocytophilum virulence protein, apta (a. phagocytophilum toxin a), that activates mammalian erk1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase. this activation is important for a. phagocytophilum survival within ... | 2011 | 20716207 |
| molecular cloning of a small heat shock protein (shspii) from the cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus salivary gland. | immunoscreening of a cdna expression library of the rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus tick with purified rabbit anti-r annulatus salivary glands antigens polyclonal antibodies led to the identification of a 661bp sequence. the sequence includes an open reading frame of 543bp encoding a protein of 180 amino acids with calculated molecular weight of 20.51kda, isoelectric point of 9.071 and with no signal sequence. comparison of the deduced amino acids with protein data bank showed that the ident ... | 2010 | 20723560 |
| first molluscan transcription factor activator protein-1 (ap-1) member from disk abalone and its expression profiling against immune challenge and tissue injury. | the regulation of transcriptional activation is an essential and critical point in gene expression. in this study, we describe a novel transcription factor activator protein-1 (ap-1) gene from disk abalone haliotis discus discus (abap-1) for the first time in mollusk. it was identified by homology screening of an abalone normalized cdna library. the cloned abap-1 consists of a 945 bp coding region that encodes a putative protein containing 315 amino acids. the abap-1 gene is composed of a charac ... | 2010 | 20732431 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum induces ixodes scapularis ticks to express an antifreeze glycoprotein gene that enhances their survival in the cold. | in the united states, ixodes scapularis ticks overwinter in the northeast and upper midwest and transmit the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, anaplasma phagocytophilum, among other pathogens. we now show that the presence of a. phagocytophilum in i. scapularis ticks increases their ability to survive in the cold. we identified an i. scapularis antifreeze glycoprotein, designated iafgp, and demonstrated via rnai knockdown studies the importance of iafgp for the survival of i. scapularis ... | 2010 | 20739755 |
| a c-type lectin collaborates with a cd45 phosphatase homolog to facilitate west nile virus infection of mosquitoes. | west nile virus (wnv) is the most common arthropod-borne flavivirus in the united states; however, the vector ligand(s) that participate in infection are not known. we now show that an aedes aegypti c-type lectin, mosgctl-1, is induced by wnv, interacts with wnv in a calcium-dependent manner, and facilitates infection in vivo and in vitro. a mosquito homolog of human cd45 in a. aegypti, designated mosptp-1, recruits mosgctl-1 to enable viral attachment to cells and to enhance viral entry. in viv ... | 2010 | 20797779 |
| human granulocytic anaplasmosis: first reported case in canada. | human granulocytic anaplasmosis (hga) is a tick-borne rickettsial infection of peripheral blood neutrophils caused by anaplasma phagocytophilum. while this infection is increasingly recognized as endemic throughout much of the united states, no canadian cases have been previously described, despite the agent being identified in canadian ticks. herein we present a case of hga acquired in an urban alberta centre. canadian physicians must be aware of the possibility of tick-borne rickettsial diseas ... | 2009 | 20808448 |
| transmission dynamics of francisella tularensis subspecies and clades by nymphal dermacentor variabilis (acari: ixodidae). | in the united states, the american dog tick, dermacentor variabilis (say) is considered an important biological vector of francisella tularensis, the etiologic agent of tularemia. in this study, we evaluated the vector efficiency of nymphal d. variabilis infected as larvae with differing clades and subspecies (a1b, a2, and type b) of f. tularensis. in all cases, d. variabilis larvae were able to acquire, maintain, and transstadially transmit f. tularensis. significant replication of the bacteria ... | 2010 | 20810833 |
| absence of rickettsia rickettsii and occurrence of other spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks from tennessee. | rocky mountain spotted fever (rmsf) is the most common tick-borne illness in tennessee. little is known about the occurrence of r. rickettsii, the causative agent, in ticks in tennessee. to better understand the prevalence and distribution of rickettsial agents in ticks, we tested 1,265 amblyomma, dermacentor, and ixodes adult and nymphal ticks. additionally, we tested 231 amblyomma americanum larvae. ticks were collected from 49 counties from humans, wild animals, domestic canines, and flannel ... | 2010 | 20810834 |
| the distribution of gyr- and ylp-like motifs in drosophila suggests a general role in cuticle assembly and other protein-protein interactions. | arthropod cuticle is composed predominantly of a self-assembling matrix of chitin and protein. genes encoding structural cuticular proteins are remarkably abundant in arthropod genomes, yet there has been no systematic survey of conserved motifs across cuticular protein families. | 2010 | 20824096 |
| phylogenomics of ligand-gated ion channels predicts monepantel effect. | the recently launched veterinary anthelmintic drench for sheep (novartis animal health inc., switzerland) containing the nematocide monepantel represents a new class of anthelmintics: the amino-acetonitrile derivatives (aads), much needed in view of widespread resistance to the classical drugs. recently, it was shown that the acr-23 protein in caenorhabditis elegans and a homologous protein, mptl-1 in haemonchus contortus, are potential targets for aad action. both proteins belong to the deg-3 s ... | 2010 | 20838602 |
| nitrophorin 2, a factor ix(a)-directed anticoagulant, inhibits arterial thrombosis without impairing haemostasis. | nitrophorin 2 (np2) is a 20 kda lipocalin identified in the salivary gland of the blood sucking insect, rhodnius prolixus. it functions as a potent inhibitor of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation upon binding to factor ix (fix) or fixa. herein we have investigated the in vivo antithrombotic properties of np2. surface plasmon resonance assays demonstrated that np2 binds to rat fix and fixa with high affinities (kd = 43 and 47 nm, respectively), and prolongs the aptt without affecting the pt. in ... | 2010 | 20838739 |
| acute ablation of langerhans cells enhances skin immune responses. | understanding the function of langerhans cells (lcs) in vivo has been complicated by conflicting results from lc-deficient mice. human langerin-dta mice constitutively lack lcs and develop exaggerated contact hypersensitivity (chs) responses. murine langerin-diphtheria toxin receptor (dtr) mice allow for the inducible elimination of lcs and langerin(+) dermal dendritic cells (ddcs) after administration of diphtheria toxin, which results in reduced chs. when langerin(+) ddcs have partially repopu ... | 2010 | 20855870 |
| molecular phylogeny and functional genomics of beta-galactoside alpha2,6-sialyltransferases that explain ubiquitous expression of st6gal1 gene in amniotes. | sialyltransferases are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of sialoglycoconjugates that catalyze the transfer of sialic residue from its activated form to an oligosaccharidic acceptor. β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferases st6gal i and st6gal ii are the two unique members of the st6gal family described in higher vertebrates. the availability of genome sequences enabled the identification of more distantly related invertebrates' st6gal gene sequences and allowed us to propose a scenario of their evol ... | 2010 | 20855889 |
| evolution and distribution of the ospc gene, a transferable serotype determinant of borrelia burgdorferi. | borrelia burgdorferi, an emerging bacterial pathogen, is maintained in nature by transmission from one vertebrate host to another by ticks. one of the few antigens against which mammals develop protective immunity is the highly polymorphic ospc protein, encoded by the ospc gene on the cp26 plasmid. intragenic recombination among ospc genes is known, but the extent to which recombination extended beyond the ospc locus itself is undefined. we accessed and supplemented collections of dna sequences ... | 2010 | 20877579 |
| involvement of the cytokine mif in the snail host immune response to the parasite schistosoma mansoni. | we have identified and characterized a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (mif) family member in the lophotrochozoan invertebrate, biomphalaria glabrata, the snail intermediate host of the human blood fluke schistosoma mansoni. in mammals, mif is a widely expressed pleiotropic cytokine with potent pro-inflammatory properties that controls cell functions such as gene expression, proliferation or apoptosis. here we show that the mif protein from b. glabrata (bgmif) is expressed in circulating ... | 2010 | 20886098 |
| identification and characterization of micrornas in clonorchis sinensis of human health significance. | clonorchis sinensis is a zoonotic parasite causing clonorchiasis-associated human disease such as biliary calculi, cholecystitis, liver cirrhosis, and it is currently classified as carcinogenic to humans for cholangiocarcinoma. micrornas (mirnas) are non-coding, regulating small rna molecules which are essential for the complex life cycles of parasites and are involved in parasitic infections. to identify and characterize mirnas expressed in adult c. sinensis residing chronically in the biliary ... | 2010 | 20920166 |
| the tick saliva immunosuppressor, salp15, contributes to th17-induced pathology during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. | salp15 is a tick saliva protein that inhibits cd4(+) t cell differentiation through its interaction with cd4. the protein inhibits early signaling events during t cell activation and il-2 production. because murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis development is mediated by central nervous system-infiltrating cd4(+) t cells that are specific for myelin-associated proteins, we sought to determine whether the treatment of mice with salp15 during eae induction would prevent the generation ... | 2010 | 20920474 |
| efficacy of a doxycycline treatment regimen initiated during three different phases of experimental ehrlichiosis. | doxycycline is the treatment of choice for canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (cme), a well-characterized disease and valuable model for tick-borne zoonoses. conflicting reports of clearance of ehrlichia canis after treatment with doxycycline suggested that the disease phase during which treatment is initiated influences outcomes of these treatments. the purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 28-day doxycycline regimen for clearance of experimental e. canis infections from dogs treat ... | 2010 | 20921310 |
| smg6 interacts with the exon junction complex via two conserved ejc-binding motifs (ebms) required for nonsense-mediated mrna decay. | nonsense-mediated mrna decay (nmd) is a quality control mechanism that detects and degrades mrnas containing premature stop codons (ptcs). in vertebrates, ptcs trigger efficient nmd when located upstream of an exon junction complex (ejc). degradation of ptc-containing mrnas requires the endonucleolytic activity of smg6, a conserved nmd factor; nevertheless, the precise role for the ejc in nmd and how the smg6 endonuclease is recruited to nmd targets have been unclear. here we show that smg6 inte ... | 2010 | 20930030 |
| laser microsurgery provides evidence for merotelic kinetochore attachments in fission yeast cells lacking pcs1 or clr4. | in order to segregate chromosomes properly, the cell must prevent merotelic kinetochore attachment, an error that occurs when a single kinetochore is attached to microtubules emanating from both spindle poles. merotelic kinetochore orientation represents a major mechanism of aneuploidy in mitotic mammalian cells and it is the primary mechanism of chromosome instability in cancer cells. fission yeast mutants defective in putative microtubule-site clamp pcs1/mde4 or clr4/swi6-dependent centromeric ... | 2010 | 20935472 |
| evaluation of metarhizium anisopliae strain f52 (hypocreales: clavicipitaceae) for control of ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae). | field efficacy of an emulsifiable concentrate formulation of the entomopathogenic fungus metarhizium anisopliae strain f52 for the control of ixodes scapularis nymphs was evaluated at residential sites in northwestern connecticut in 2007. two spray applications with two rates, 3.2 x 10(5) and 1.3 x 10(6) spores/cm2, were made: the first on 8-9 may, 2-3 wk before nymphal activity, and the second on 29 june or 2 july when ticks were active. there was no significant difference in nymphal abundance ... | 2010 | 20939382 |
| loop analysis for pathogens: niche partitioning in the transmission graph for pathogens of the north american tick ixodes scapularis. | in population biology, loop analysis is a method of decomposing a life cycle graph into life history pathways so as to compare the relative contributions of pathways to the population growth rate across species and populations. we apply loop analysis to the transmission graph of five pathogens known to infect the black-legged tick, ixodes scapularis. in this context loops represent repeating chains of transmission that could maintain the pathogen. they hence represent completions of the life cyc ... | 2010 | 20950628 |
| environmental monitoring to enhance comprehension and control of infectious diseases. | in a world of emerging and resurging infectious diseases, dominated by zoonoses, environmental monitoring plays a vital role in our understanding their dynamics and their spillover to humans. here, we critically review the ecology, epidemiology and need for monitoring of a variety of directly transmitted (sin nombre virus, avian influenza) and vector-borne (ross river virus, west nile virus, lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis) zoonoses. we focus on the valuable role that existing monitori ... | 2010 | 20957286 |
| genotypic diversity of borrelia burgdorferi strains detected in ixodes scapularis larvae collected from north american songbirds. | we genotyped borrelia burgdorferi strains detected in larvae of ixodes scapularis removed from songbirds and compared them with those found in host-seeking i. scapularis nymphs sampled throughout the eastern united states. birds are capable of transmitting most known genotypes, albeit at different frequencies than expected based on genotypes found among host-seeking nymphs. | 2010 | 20971869 |
| genomic survey of the ectoparasitic mite varroa destructor, a major pest of the honey bee apis mellifera. | the ectoparasitic mite varroa destructor has emerged as the primary pest of domestic honey bees (apis mellifera). here we present an initial survey of the v. destructor genome carried out to advance our understanding of varroa biology and to identify new avenues for mite control. this sequence survey provides immediate resources for molecular and population-genetic analyses of varroa-apis interactions and defines the challenges ahead for a comprehensive varroa genome project. | 2010 | 20973996 |
| controlling cellular p-tefb activity by the hiv-1 transcriptional transactivator tat. | the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (hiv-1) transcriptional transactivator (tat) is essential for synthesis of full-length transcripts from the integrated viral genome by rna polymerase ii (pol ii). tat recruits the host positive transcription elongation factor b (p-tefb) to the hiv-1 promoter through binding to the transactivator rna (tar) at the 5'-end of the nascent hiv transcript. p-tefb is a general pol ii transcription factor; its cellular activity is controlled by the 7sk small nuclear rna ... | 2010 | 20976203 |
| characterization of nicotinamidases: steady state kinetic parameters, classwide inhibition by nicotinaldehydes, and catalytic mechanism. | nicotinamidases are metabolic enzymes that hydrolyze nicotinamide to nicotinic acid. these enzymes are widely distributed across biology, with examples found encoded in the genomes of mycobacteria, archaea, eubacteria, protozoa, yeast, and invertebrates, but there are none found in mammals. although recent structural work has improved our understanding of these enzymes, their catalytic mechanism is still not well understood. recent data show that nicotinamidases are required for the growth and v ... | 2010 | 20979384 |
| the use of hydrogel microparticles to sequester and concentrate bacterial antigens in a urine test for lyme disease. | hydrogel biomarker capturing microparticles were evaluated as a biomaterial to amplify the sensitivity of urine testing for infectious disease proteins. lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks. early diagnosis and prompt treatment of lyme disease reduces complications including arthritis and cardiac involvement. while a urine test is highly desirable for lyme disease screening, this has been difficult to accomplish because the antigen is present at extremely low concentrations ... | 2010 | 21035184 |
| monoamine neurotransmitters as substrates for novel tick sulfotransferases, homology modeling, molecular docking, and enzyme kinetics. | blacklegged ticks (ixodes scapularis) transmit the causative agent of lyme disease in the northeastern united states. current research focuses on elucidating biochemical pathways that may be disrupted to prevent pathogen transmission, thereby preventing disease. genome screening reported transcripts coding for two putative sulfotransferases in whole tick extracts of the nymphal and larval stages. sulfotransferases are known to sulfonate phenolic and alcoholic receptor agonists such as 17β-estrad ... | 2010 | 21043483 |
| expression and phylogenetic analysis of the zic gene family in the evolution and development of metazoans. | abstract: | 2010 | 21054859 |
| insight into the salivary transcriptome and proteome of dipetalogaster maxima. | dipetalogaster maxima is a blood-sucking hemiptera that inhabits sylvatic areas in mexico. it usually takes its blood meal from lizards, but following human population growth, it invaded suburban areas, feeding also on humans and domestic animals. hematophagous insect salivary glands produce potent pharmacologic compounds that counteract host hemostasis, including anticlotting, antiplatelet, and vasodilatory molecules. to obtain further insight into the salivary biochemical and pharmacologic com ... | 2011 | 21058630 |
| evaluation of bacillus thuringiensis pathogenicity for a strain of the tick, rhipicephalus microplus, resistant to chemical pesticides. | the pathogenicity of four native strains of bacillus thuringiensis against rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (canestrine) (acari: ixodidae) was evaluated. a r. microplus strain that is resistant to organophosphates, pyrethroids, and amidines, was used in this study. adult r. microplus females were bioassayed using the immersion test of drummond against 60 b. thuringiensis strains. four strains, gp123, gp138, gp130, and gp140, were found to be toxic. for the immersion test, the total protein co ... | 2010 | 21062139 |
| a twist on lyme: the challenge of diagnosing european lyme neuroborreliosis. | lyme neuroborreliosis is a tick-borne illness with central and peripheral nervous system manifestations. clinical features and methods for accurate diagnosis differ across world regions owing to different causative borrelia species. the importance of these distinctions is highlighted by a 12-year-old canadian girl who acquired lyme neuroborreliosis in europe. | 2010 | 21068272 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis saliva triggers lipid body formation and prostaglandin e₂ production in murine macrophages. | sand fly saliva contains molecules that modify the host's hemostasis and immune responses. nevertheless, the role played by this saliva in the induction of key elements of inflammatory responses, such as lipid bodies (lb, also known as lipid droplets) and eicosanoids, has been poorly investigated. lbs are cytoplasmic organelles involved in arachidonic acid metabolism that form eicosanoids in response to inflammatory stimuli. in this study, we assessed the role of salivary gland sonicate (sgs) fr ... | 2010 | 21072234 |
| the drosophila genes cg14593 and cg30106 code for g-protein-coupled receptors specifically activated by the neuropeptides cchamide-1 and cchamide-2. | recently, a novel neuropeptide, cchamide, was discovered in the silkworm bombyx mori (l. roller et al., insect biochem. mol. biol. 38 (2008) 1147-1157). we have now found that all insects with a sequenced genome have two genes, each coding for a different cchamide, cchamide-1 and -2. we have also cloned and deorphanized two drosophila g-protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs) coded for by genes cg14593 and cg30106 that are selectively activated by drosophila cch-amide-1 (ec(50), 2×10(-9) m) and cch-am ... | 2010 | 21110953 |
| conservation, loss, and redeployment of wnt ligands in protostomes: implications for understanding the evolution of segment formation. | the wnt genes encode secreted glycoprotein ligands that regulate a wide range of developmental processes, including axis elongation and segmentation. there are thirteen subfamilies of wnt genes in metazoans and this gene diversity appeared early in animal evolution. the loss of wnt subfamilies appears to be common in insects, but little is known about the wnt repertoire in other arthropods, and moreover the expression and function of these genes have only been investigated in a few protostomes o ... | 2010 | 21122121 |
| tick histamine release factor is critical for ixodes scapularis engorgement and transmission of the lyme disease agent. | ticks are distributed worldwide and affect human and animal health by transmitting diverse infectious agents. effective vaccines against most tick-borne pathogens are not currently available. in this study, we characterized a tick histamine release factor (thrf) from ixodes scapularis and addressed the vaccine potential of this antigen in the context of tick engorgement and b. burgdorferi transmission. results from western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription-pcr showed that thrf is s ... | 2010 | 21124826 |
| antialarmin effect of tick saliva during the transmission of lyme disease. | tick saliva has potent immunomodulatory properties. in arthropod-borne diseases, this effect is largely used by microorganisms to increase their pathogenicity and to evade host immune responses. we show that in lyme borreliosis, tick salivary gland extract and a tick saliva protein, salp15, inhibit in vitro keratinocyte inflammation induced by borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto or by the major outer surface lipoprotein of borrelia, ospc. chemokines (interleukin-8 [il-8] and monocyte chemoattract ... | 2010 | 21134970 |
| chimeric tick-borne encephalitis/dengue virus is attenuated in ixodes scapularis ticks and aedes aegypti mosquitoes. | abstract in an effort to derive an efficacious live attenuated vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis, we generated a chimeric virus bearing the structural protein genes of a far eastern subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) on the genetic background of recombinant dengue 4 (den4) virus. introduction of attenuating mutations into the tbev envelope protein gene, as well as the den4 ns5 protein gene and 3' noncoding region in the chimeric genome, results in decreased neurovirulence and ... | 2010 | 21142950 |
| deep sequencing of new world screw-worm transcripts to discover genes involved in insecticide resistance. | the new world screw-worm (nws), cochliomyia hominivorax, is one of the most important myiasis-causing flies, causing severe losses to the livestock industry. in its current geographical distribution, this species has been controlled by the application of insecticides, mainly organophosphate (op) compounds, but a number of lineages have been identified that are resistant to such chemicals. despite its economic importance, only limited genetic information is available for the nws. here, as a part ... | 2010 | 21143848 |
| dynamics of digestive proteolytic system during blood feeding of the hard tick ixodes ricinus. | abstract: | 2010 | 21156061 |