| multilocus sequence analysis of borrelia bissettii strains from north america reveals a new borrelia species, borrelia kurtenbachii. | using multilocus sequence analyses (mlsa), we investigated the phylogenetic relationship of spirochaete strains from north america previously assigned to the genospecies borrelia bissettii. we amplified internal fragments of 8 housekeeping genes (clpa, clpx, nifs, pepx, pyrg, recg, rplb, and uvra) located on the main linear chromosome by polymerase chain reaction. phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of the 8 loci showed that the b. bissettii clade consisted of 4 closely related clust ... | 2010 | 21157575 |
| a temporal dilution effect: hantavirus infection in deer mice and the intermittent presence of voles in montana. | the effect of intermittently occurring, non-reservoir host species on pathogen transmission and prevalence in a reservoir population is poorly understood. we investigated whether voles, microtus spp., which occur intermittently, influenced estimated standing antibody prevalence (esap) to sin nombre hantavirus (snv, bunyaviridae: hantavirus) among deer mice, peromyscus maniculatus, whose populations are persistent. we used 14 years of data from central montana to investigate whether esap among de ... | 2010 | 21170746 |
| bb0844, an rpos-regulated protein, is dispensable for borrelia burgdorferi infectivity and maintenance in the mouse-tick infectious cycle. | the genome of borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, is comprised of a large linear chromosome and numerous smaller linear and circular plasmids. b. burgdorferi exhibits substantial genomic variation, and previous studies revealed genotype-specific variation at the right chromosomal telomere. a correlation has also been established between genotype and invasiveness. the correlation between chromosome length and genotype and between genotype and invasiveness suggested that a g ... | 2010 | 21173312 |
| highly variable acquisition rates of ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) by birds on an atlantic barrier island. | acquisition of ticks by bird hosts is a central process in the transmission cycles of many tick-borne zoonoses, but tick recruitment by birds has received little direct study. we documented acquisition of ixodes scapularis say on birds at fire island, ny, by removing ticks from mist-netted birds, and recording the number of ticks on birds recaptured within 4 d of release. eight bird species acquired at least 0.8 ticks bird(-1) day(-1) during the seasonal peak for at least one age class of i. sca ... | 2010 | 21175049 |
| field applications of entomopathogenic fungi beauveria bassiana and metarhizium anisopliae f52 (hypocreales: clavicipitaceae) for the control of ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae). | two commercial formulations of beauveria bassiana (balsamo-crivelli) vuillemin were applied to residential sites in old lyme, ct, for the control of nymphs of the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis, in 1999 and 2000. the pyrethroid bifenthrin was applied to other premises for comparison with b. bassiana. a wood chip barrier was installed and maintained at six of the treated properties. in 1999, control of i. scapularis nymphs ranged from 74.5 to 83.0% on lawns without wood chips and from 88.9 t ... | 2010 | 21175060 |
| bloodmeal size and spirochete acquisition of ornithodoros hermsi (acari: argasidae) during feeding. | ornithodoros hermsi wheeler (acari: argasidae) is the vector of borrelia hermsii, the primary cause of tick-borne relapsing fever in north america. this tick is one of the smallest ornithodoros species involved with the biological transmission of spirochetes; yet, the amount of blood ingested while feeding is unknown. therefore, we determined the amount of blood o. hermsi ingested during a bloodmeal to establish its potential for spirochete acquisition while feeding on an infected host. ticks at ... | 2010 | 21175068 |
| distinct host species correlate with anaplasma phagocytophilum anka gene clusters. | anaplasma phagocytophilum is a gram-negative, tick-transmitted, obligate intracellular bacterium that elicits acute febrile diseases in humans and domestic animals. in contrast to the united states, human granulocytic anaplasmosis seems to be a rare disease in europe despite the initial recognition of a. phagocytophilum as the causative agent of tick-borne fever in european sheep and cattle. considerable strain variation has been suggested to occur within this species, because isolates from huma ... | 2010 | 21177886 |
| babesiosis in immunocompetent patients, europe. | we report 2 cases of babesiosis in immunocompetent patients in france. a severe influenza-like disease developed in both patients 2 weeks after they had been bitten by ticks. diagnosis was obtained from blood smears, and babesia divergens was identified by pcr in 1 case. babesiosis in europe occurs in healthy patients, not only in splenectomized patients. | 2011 | 21192869 |
| acquisition of rickettsia felis by cat fleas during feeding. | evidence for horizontal routes of transmission for rickettsia felis has come from detection of r. felis infection in vertebrates and multiple blood-feeding arthropods; however, infection of cat fleas, ctenocephalides felis, during blood feeding has not been demonstrated. in this study, the ability of cat fleas to acquire r. felis through an infectious blood meal with subsequent vertical transmission was examined. utilizing an artificial feeding system, rickettsia-naive fleas were exposed to r. f ... | 2011 | 21214386 |
| replacement of the 3' untranslated variable region of mosquito-borne dengue virus with that of tick-borne langat virus does not alter vector specificity. | the four major flavivirus clades are transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, directly between vertebrates or directly between arthropods, respectively, but the molecular determinants of mode of transmission in flaviviruses are unknown. to assess the role of the utrs in transmission, we generated chimeric genomes in which the 5' utr, capsid and/or 3' utr of mosquito-borne dengue virus serotype 4 (rdenv-4) were replaced, separately or in combination, with those of tick-borne langat virus (rlgtv). none o ... | 2011 | 21216984 |
| transfusion-transmitted babesia spp.: bull's-eye on babesia microti. | babesia spp. are intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites of animals and humans that cause babesiosis, a zoonotic disease transmitted primarily by tick vectors. although a variety of species or types of babesia have been described in the literature as causing infection in humans, the rodent parasite babesia microti has emerged as the focal point of human disease, especially in the united states. not only has b. microti become established as a public health concern, this agent is increasingly being ... | 2011 | 21233506 |
| identification and characterization of ixodes scapularis antigens that elicit tick immunity using yeast surface display. | repeated exposure of rabbits and other animals to ticks results in acquired resistance or immunity to subsequent tick bites and is partially elicited by antibodies directed against tick antigens. in this study we demonstrate the utility of a yeast surface display approach to identify tick salivary antigens that react with tick-immune serum. we constructed an ixodes scapularis nymphal salivary gland yeast surface display library and screened the library with nymph-immune rabbit sera and identifie ... | 2011 | 21246036 |
| patterns and regulation of ribosomal rna transcription in borrelia burgdorferi. | borrelia burgdorferi contains one 16s and two tandem sets of 23s-5s ribosomal (r) rna genes whose patterns of transcription and regulation are unknown but are likely to be critical for survival and persistence in its hosts. | 2011 | 21251259 |
| case report: successful non-operative management of spontaneous splenic rupture in a patient with babesiosis. | | 2011 | 21251311 |
| growth of coxiella burnetii in the ixodes scapularis-derived ide8 tick cell line. | q fever, a zoonotic disease, is caused by a gram-negative intracellular bacterium, coxiella burnetii. although normally transmitted during exposure to infectious aerosols, c. burnetii is also found in arthropod vectors. in the environment, ticks are thought to play a crucial role in bacterial maintenance and transmission by infecting various mammalian species. however, the nature of the pathogen-tick relationship is not well defined. to determine c. burnetii's interactions with a cultured tick c ... | 2011 | 21254834 |
| diverse borrelia burgdorferi strains in a bird-tick cryptic cycle. | the blacklegged tick ixodes scapularis is the primary vector of the most prevalent vector-borne zoonosis in north america, lyme disease (ld). enzootic maintenance of the pathogen borrelia burgdorferi by i. scapularis and small mammals is well documented, whereas its "cryptic" maintenance by other specialist ticks and wildlife hosts remains largely unexplored because these ticks rarely bite humans. we quantified b. burgdorferi infection in a cryptic bird-rabbit-tick cycle. furthermore, we explore ... | 2011 | 21257811 |
| deconstructing tick saliva: non-protein molecules with potent immunomodulatory properties. | dendritic cells (dcs) are powerful initiators of innate and adaptive immune responses. ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasite arthropods that suppress host immunity by secreting immunomodulatory molecules in their saliva. here, compounds present in rhipicephalus sanguineus tick saliva with immunomodulatory effects on dc differentiation, cytokine production, and costimulatory molecule expression were identified. r. sanguineus tick saliva inhibited il-12p40 and tnf-a while potentiating il-10 cytokin ... | 2011 | 21270122 |
| global analysis of the transcriptional response of whitefly to tomato yellow leaf curl china virus reveals the relationship of coevolved adaptations. | the begomoviruses are the largest and most economically important group of plant viruses transmitted exclusively by the whitefly bemisia tabaci in a circulative, persistent manner. the circulation of the viruses within the insect vectors involves complex interactions between virus and vector components; however, the molecular mechanisms of these interactions remain largely unknown. here we investigated the transcriptional response of the invasive b. tabaci middle east-asia minor 1 species to tom ... | 2011 | 21270146 |
| cd14 signaling reciprocally controls collagen deposition and turnover to regulate the development of lyme arthritis. | cd14 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein expressed primarily on myeloid cells (eg, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells). cd14(-/-) mice infected with borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, produce more proinflammatory cytokines and present with greater disease and bacterial burden in infected tissues. recently, we uncovered a novel mechanism whereby cd14(-/-) macrophages mount a hyperinflammatory response, resulting from their inability to be tolerize ... | 2011 | 21281805 |
| isolation of a rickettsial pathogen from a non-hematophagous arthropod. | rickettsial diversity is intriguing in that some species are transmissible to vertebrates, while others appear exclusive to invertebrate hosts. of particular interest is rickettsia felis, identifiable in both stored product insect pests and hematophagous disease vectors. to understand rickettsial survival tactics in, and probable movement between, both insect systems will explicate the determinants of rickettsial pathogenicity. towards this objective, a population of liposcelis bostrychophila, c ... | 2011 | 21283549 |
| crystal structure of a human cleavage factor cfi(m)25/cfi(m)68/rna complex provides an insight into poly(a) site recognition and rna looping. | cleavage factor i(m) (cfi(m)) is a highly conserved component of the eukaryotic mrna 3' processing machinery that functions in sequence-specific poly(a) site recognition through the collaboration of a 25 kda subunit containing a nudix domain and a larger subunit of 59, 68, or 72 kda containing an rna recognition motif (rrm). our previous work demonstrated that cfi(m)25 is both necessary and sufficient for sequence-specific binding of the poly(a) site upstream element ugua. here, we report the cr ... | 2011 | 21295486 |
| gene gain and loss events in rickettsia and orientia species. | genome degradation is an ongoing process in all members of the rickettsiales order, which makes these bacterial species an excellent model for studying reductive evolution through interspecies variation in genome size and gene content. in this study, we evaluated the degree to which gene loss shaped the content of some rickettsiales genomes. we shed light on the role played by horizontal gene transfers in the genome evolution of rickettsiales. | 2011 | 21303508 |
| rna interference in ticks. | ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of wild and domestic animals and humans, and are considered to be second worldwide to mosquitoes as vectors of human diseases(1) and the most important vectors affecting cattle industry worldwide(2). ticks are classified in the subclass acari, order parasitiformes, suborder ixodida and are distributed worldwide from arctic to tropical regions(3). despite efforts to control tick infestations, these ectoparasites remain a serious problem for human and ... | 2011 | 21304465 |
| a survey of schistosome protein domain types: insights into unique biological properties. | using the prosite database and search tools, we conducted a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the predicted protein sequences of the flatworm parasites schistosoma mansoni and schistosoma japonicum and seven other animal genomes in order to identify novel schistosome-specific features. our analyses revealed a relative paucity of proline-rich domains in schistosomes in comparison with their human host and a corresponding enrichment in schistosomes of asparagine-rich, serine-rich, and threon ... | 2011 | 21315771 |
| impact of the experimental removal of lizards on lyme disease risk. | the distribution of vector meals in the host community is an important element of understanding and predicting vector-borne disease risk. lizards (such as the western fence lizard; sceloporus occidentalis) play a unique role in lyme disease ecology in the far-western united states. lizards rather than mammals serve as the blood meal hosts for a large fraction of larval and nymphal western black-legged ticks (ixodes pacificus-the vector for lyme disease in that region) but are not competent reser ... | 2011 | 21325326 |
| microbial manipulation of receptor crosstalk in innate immunity. | in the arms race of host-microbe co-evolution, successful microbial pathogens have evolved ingenious ways to evade host immune responses. in this review, we focus on 'crosstalk manipulation' - the microbial strategies that instigate, subvert or disrupt the molecular signalling crosstalk between receptors of the innate immune system. this proactive interference undermines host defences and contributes to microbial adaptive fitness and persistent infections. understanding how pathogens exploit hos ... | 2011 | 21350579 |
| biodiversity and lyme disease: dilution or amplification? | reduced lyme disease risk by the 'dilution effect' is often cited as an example of biodiversity providing 'ecosystem services' to public health. using a mechanistic model we investigated how transmission of the lyme disease agent, borrelia burgdorferi, by ixodes scapularis ticks amongst highly efficient reservoir mice is affected by varying the abundance of a less efficient reservoir host. simulations indicated either amplification or dilution may occur, with the outcome depending precisely on m ... | 2009 | 21352766 |
| analysis of the borrelia burgdorferi cyclic-di-gmp-binding protein plza reveals a role in motility and virulence. | the cyclic-dimeric-gmp (c-di-gmp)-binding protein pilz has been implicated in bacterial motility and pathogenesis. although bb0733 (plza), the only pilz domain-containing protein in borrelia burgdorferi, was reported to bind c-di-gmp, neither its role in motility or virulence nor it's affinity for c-di-gmp has been reported. we determined that plza specifically binds c-di-gmp with high affinity (dissociation constant [k(d)], 1.25 µm), consistent with k(d) values reported for c-di-gmp-binding pro ... | 2011 | 21357718 |
| differences in prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma spp. infection among host-seeking dermacentor occidentalis, ixodes pacificus, and ornithodoros coriaceus ticks in northwestern california. | previous studies revealed that the pacific coast tick (dermacentor occidentalis) is infected occasionally with the agents of lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi) or human granulocytic anaplasmosis (anaplasma phagocytophilum) and that it is an inefficient experimental vector of b. burgdorferi. the relationship of the pajahuello tick (ornithodoros coriaceus) to each of these bacterial zoonotic agents has not been reported. the primary bridging vector of both bacterial zoonotic agents to humans is t ... | 2010 | 21359090 |
| a further insight into the sialome of the tropical bont tick, amblyomma variegatum. | ticks--vectors of medical and veterinary importance--are themselves also significant pests. tick salivary proteins are the result of adaptation to blood feeding and contain inhibitors of blood clotting, platelet aggregation, and angiogenesis, as well as vasodilators and immunomodulators. a previous analysis of the sialotranscriptome (from the greek sialo, saliva) of amblyomma variegatum is revisited in light of recent advances in tick sialomes and provides a database to perform a proteomic study ... | 2011 | 21362191 |
| methods for rapid transfer and localization of lyme disease pathogens within the tick gut. | lyme disease is caused by infection with the spirochete pathogen borrelia burgdorferi, which is maintained in nature by a tick-rodent infection cycle (1). a tick-borne murine model (2) has been developed to study lyme disease in the laboratory. while naíve ticks can be infected with b. burgdorferi by feeding them on infected mice, the molting process takes several weeks to months to complete. therefore, development of more rapid and efficient tick infection techniques, such as a microinjection-b ... | 2011 | 21372782 |
| tick paralysis in australia caused by ixodes holocyclus neumann. | ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites of various animals, including humans, and are abundant in temperate and tropical zones around the world. they are the most important vectors for the pathogens causing disease in livestock and second only to mosquitoes as vectors of pathogens causing human disease. ticks are formidable arachnids, capable of not only transmitting the pathogens involved in some infectious diseases but also of inducing allergies and causing toxicoses and paralysis, wit ... | 2011 | 21396246 |
| genetic transformation of borrelia burgdorferi. | the development of robust genetic tools to manipulate borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of lyme disease, now allows investigators to assess the role(s) of individual genes in the context of experimental lyme borreliosis. this unit is devoted to the description of experimental approaches that are available for the molecular genetic analysis of b. burgdorferi with an emphasis on cultivation, electrotransformation, selection of desired mutants, and genetic complementation of acquired mutant ... | 2011 | 21400675 |
| distribution and molecular characterization of wolbachia endosymbionts and filarial nematodes in maryland populations of the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum). | the lone star tick amblyomma americanum is host to a wide diversity of endosymbiotic bacteria. we identified a novel wolbachia symbiont infecting a. americanum. multilocus sequence typing phylogenetically placed the endosymbiont in the increasingly diverse f supergroup. we assayed a total of 1031 ticks (119 females, 78 males and 834 nymphs in 89 pools) from 16 maryland populations for infection. infection frequencies in the natural populations were approximately 5% in females and <2% (minimum in ... | 2011 | 21410491 |
| molecular detection and identification of rickettsia species in ixodes pacificus in california. | we amplified 16s rrna, glta, and ompa genes from ixodes pacificus by polymerase chain reaction. sequencing, blast analysis, and phylogenetic constructions indicated that two rickettsia phylotypes are present in i. pacificus. while phylotype g021 has high homology to ixodes scapularis endosymbiotic rickettsia, phylotype g022 is a deeply branched novel spotted fever group rickettsia. | 2011 | 21413886 |
| investigation of genotypes of borrelia burgdorferi in ixodes scapularis ticks collected during surveillance in canada. | the genetic diversity of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the agent of lyme disease in north america, has consequences for the performance of serological diagnostic tests and disease severity. to investigate b. burgdorferi diversity in canada, where lyme disease is emerging, bacterial dna in 309 infected adult ixodes scapularis ticks collected in surveillance was characterized by multilocus sequence typing (mlst) and analysis of outer surface protein c gene (ospc) alleles. six ticks carried b ... | 2011 | 21421790 |
| longistatin, a plasminogen activator, is key to the availability of blood-meals for ixodid ticks. | ixodid ticks are notorious blood-sucking ectoparasites and are completely dependent on blood-meals from hosts. in addition to the direct severe effects on health and productivity, ixodid ticks transmit various deadly diseases to humans and animals. unlike rapidly feeding vessel-feeder hematophagous insects, the hard ticks feed on hosts for a long time (5-10 days or more), making a large blood pool beneath the skin. tick's salivary glands produce a vast array of bio-molecules that modulate their ... | 2011 | 21423674 |
| the relevance of tick bites to the production of ige antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-a-1,3-galactose. | in 2009, we reported a novel form of delayed anaphylaxis to red meat that is related to serum ige antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-a-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). most of these patients had tolerated meat for many years previously. the implication is that some exposure in adult life had stimulated the production of these ige antibodies. | 2011 | 21453959 |
| molecular and pharmacological characterization of two d(1)-like dopamine receptors in the lyme disease vector, ixodes scapularis. | advancements in tick neurobiology may impact the development of acaricides to control those species that transmit human and animal diseases. here, we report the first cloning and pharmacological characterization of two neurotransmitter binding g protein-coupled receptors in the lyme disease (blacklegged) tick, ixodes scapularis. the genes iscagprdop1 and iscagprdop2 were identified in the i. scapularis genome assembly and predicted as orthologs of previously characterized d(1)-like dopamine rece ... | 2011 | 21457782 |
| susceptibility of four tick species, amblyomma americanum, dermacentor variabilis, ixodes scapularis, and rhipicephalus sanguineus (acari: ixodidae), to nootkatone from essential oil of grapefruit. | toxicity of nootkatone was determined in laboratory assays against unfed nymphs of amblyomma americanum l., dermacentor variabilis (say), ixodes scapularis say, and rhipicephalus sanguineus latreille. we determined the 50% lethal concentration (lc50) and 90% lethal concentration (lc90) of nootkatone by recording tick mortality 24 h after exposure in treated glass vials. nymphs were susceptible to nootkatone with lc50 values of 0.352, 0.233, 0.169, and 0.197 microg/cm2, and lc90 values of 1.001, ... | 2011 | 21485368 |
| tick bite protection with permethrin-treated summer-weight clothing. | the number of tick bites received by individuals wearing either permethrin-treated or untreated summer clothing (t-shirt, shorts, socks, and sneakers) was compared during a controlled indoor study. pathogen-free nymphal ixodes scapularis say were placed on the left shoe, right leg, and left arm of 15 (5/treatment group/d) human volunteers wearing untreated outfits or outfits treated with permethrin either commercially or using a do-at-home treatment kit. the number and location of ticks attached ... | 2011 | 21485369 |
| occurrence of soil- and tick-borne fungi and related virulence tests for pathogenicity to ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae). | ixodes scapularis say, the blacklegged tick, vectors borrelia burgdorferi johnson et al. 1984, the bacterium that causes lyme disease, the most important vector-borne disease in the united states. efforts to reduce i. scapularis populations are shifting toward the development of biological control methods. currently, only a few entomopathogenic fungal species are considered virulent to ticks. we hypothesized that these species may not represent the most abundant local taxa that would be pathogen ... | 2011 | 21485371 |
| regional variation in immature ixodes scapularis parasitism on north american songbirds: implications for transmission of the lyme pathogen, borrelia burgdorferi. | borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of lyme disease, is transmitted among hosts by the black-legged tick, ixodes scapularis, a species that regularly parasitizes various vertebrate hosts, including birds, in its immature stages. lyme disease risk in the united states is highest in the northeast and in the upper midwest where i. scapularis ticks are most abundant. because birds might be important to the range expansion of i. scapularis and b. burgdorferi, we explored spatial variation in ... | 2011 | 21485384 |
| a cdna microarray, unishrimpchip, for identification of genes relevant to testicular development in the black tiger shrimp (penaeus monodon). | abstract: | 2011 | 21486443 |
| tick-borne encephalitis virus in dogs - is this an issue? | abstract: the last review on tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) in dogs was published almost ten years ago. since then, this zoonotic tick-borne arbovirus has been geographically spreading and emerging in many regions in eurasia and continues to do so. dogs become readily infected with tbe virus but they are accidental hosts not capable to further spread the virus. they seroconvert upon infection but they seem to be much more resistant to the clinical disease than humans. apart from their use as sent ... | 2011 | 21489255 |
| slo-1-channels of parasitic nematodes reconstitute locomotor behaviour and emodepside sensitivity in caenorhabditis elegans slo-1 loss of function mutants. | the calcium-gated potassium channel slo-1 in caenorhabditis elegans was recently identified as key component for action of emodepside, a new anthelmintic drug with broad spectrum activity. in this study we identified orthologues of slo-1 in ancylostoma caninum, cooperia oncophora, and haemonchus contortus, all important parasitic nematodes in veterinary medicine. furthermore, functional analyses of these slo-1 orthologues were performed using heterologous expression in c. elegans. we expressed a ... | 2011 | 21490955 |
| disulfide reduction in the endocytic pathway: immunological functions of gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase. | abstract gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (gilt) is constitutively expressed in most antigen presenting cells and is interferon γ inducible in other cell types via signal transducer and activator of transcription 1. normally, n- and c-terminal propeptides are cleaved in the early endosome, and the mature protein resides in late endosomes and lysosomes. correspondingly, gilt has maximal reductase activity at an acidic ph. monocyte differentiation via toll-like receptor 4 trigg ... | 2011 | 21506690 |
| suppression of host-seeking ixodes scapularis and amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) nymphs after dual applications of plant-derived acaricides in new jersey. | we evaluated the ability of dual applications of natural, plant-derived acaricides to suppress nymphal ixodes scapularis say and amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae) in a lyme disease endemic area of new jersey. an aqueous formulation of 2% nootkatone provided >90% control of i. scapularis through 7 d. control declined to 80.9% at 14 d, and a second application was made that provided >95% control through the remaining 4 wk of the nymphal season. nootkatone provided >90% control of a. amer ... | 2011 | 21510219 |
| temporal characterisation of the organ-specific rhipicephalusmicroplus transcriptional response to anaplasma marginale infection. | arthropods transmit important infectious diseases of humans and animals. importantly, replication and the development of pathogen infectivity are tightly linked to vector feeding on the mammalian host; thus analysis of the transcriptomes of both vector and pathogen during feeding is fundamental to understanding transmission. using anaplasma marginale infection of rhipicephalusmicroplus as the experimental model, we tested three hypotheses exploring the temporal and organ-specific nature of the t ... | 2011 | 21514300 |
| in silico analysis of glutathione s-transferase supergene family revealed hitherto unreported insect specific δ- and ɛ-gsts and mammalian specific μ-gsts in ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae). | the availability of whole genome sequence information of ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae), an important disease vector of veterinary and public health importance, has opened up new opportunities to explore the vector species at genomic level. use of acaricides is the mainstay in controlling the disease vector, as effective vaccines are not available for most of the diseases that are transmitted by ticks. the glutathione s-transferase (gst) enzymes are one of the important supergene families t ... | 2011 | 21514893 |
| bioinformatic characterization of the trimeric intracellular cation-specific channel protein family. | trimeric intracellular cation-specific (tric) channels are integral to muscle excitation-contraction coupling. tric channels provide counter-ionic flux when calcium is rapidly transported from intracellular stores to the cell cytoplasm. until recently, knowledge of the presence of these proteins was limited to animals. we analyzed the tric family and identified a profusion of prokaryotic family members with topologies and motifs similar to those of their eukaryotic counterparts. prokaryotic memb ... | 2011 | 21519847 |
| tick innate immunity. | ticks are blood feeding parasites transmitting a wide variety of pathogens to their vertebrate hosts. the vector competence of ticks is tightly linked with their immune system. despite its importance, our knowledge of tick innate immunity is still inadequate and the limited number of sufficiently characterized immune molecules and cellular reactions are dispersed across numerous tick species. the phagocytosis of microbes by tick hemocytes seems to be coupled with a primitive complement-like syst ... | 2010 | 21528697 |
| the putative akh receptor of the tobacco hornworm, manduca sexta, and its expression. | abstract adipokinetic hormones are peptide hormones that mobilize lipids and/or carbohydrates for flight in adult insects and activate glycogen phosphorylase in larvae during starvation and during molt. we previously examined the functional roles of adipokinetic hormone in manduca sexta l. (lepidoptera: sphingidae). here we report the cloning of the full-length cdna encoding the putative adipokinetic hormone receptor from the fat body of m. sexta. the sequence analysis shows that the deduced ami ... | 2011 | 21529255 |
| detection and differentiation of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks collected from sheep and cattle in china. | abstract: | 2011 | 21529349 |
| multitarget test for emerging lyme disease and anaplasmosis in a serosurvey of dogs, maine, usa. | to determine if the range of deer ticks in maine had expanded, we conducted a multitarget serosurvey of domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) in 2007. an extension of exposure to borrelia burgdorferi to the northern border and local transmission of anaplasma phagocytophilum throughout southern areas was found. | 2011 | 21529407 |
| the defensin gene family expansion in the tick ixodes scapularis. | ixodid ticks transmit a variety of pathogens by blood feeding. here, we report computational identification of two multigene families of defensin-like peptides (dlps) in the ixodes scapularis genome, one corresponding to scapularisin and the other named scasin. members in the scapularisin family share high sequence similarity to some antibacterial ancient invertebrate-type defensins (aitds) isolated from primitive insects, arachnids, bivalvia, and fungi whereas scasins represent a novel family o ... | 2011 | 21540051 |
| the diguanylate cyclase, rrp1, regulates critical steps in the enzootic cycle of the lyme disease spirochetes. | rrp1 is the sole c-di-gmp-producing protein (diguanylate cyclase) of borrelia burgdorferi. to test the hypothesis that rrp1 regulates critical processes involved in the transmission of spirochetes between ticks and mammals, an rrp1 deletion mutant (b31-δrrp1) and a strain that constitutively produces elevated levels of rrp1 (b31-ov) were constructed. the strains were assessed for progression through the enzootic cycle using an ixodes tick/c3h-hej mouse model and tick immersion feeding methods. b ... | 2011 | 21542866 |
| adhesion mechanisms of borrelia burgdorferi. | the borrelia are widely distributed agents of lyme disease and relapsing fever. all are vector-borne zoonotic pathogens, have segmented genomes, and enigmatic mechanisms of pathogenesis. adhesion to mammalian and tick substrates is one pathogenic mechanism that has been widely studied. at this point, the primary focus of research in this area has been on borrelia burgdorferi, one agent of lyme disease, but many of the adhesins of b. burgdorferi are conserved in other lyme disease agents, and som ... | 2011 | 21557056 |
| functional analysis of the borrelia burgdorferi bba64 gene product in murine infection via tick infestation. | borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme borreliosis, is transmitted to humans from the bite of ixodes spp. ticks. during the borrelial tick-to-mammal life cycle, b. burgdorferi must adapt to many environmental changes by regulating several genes, including bba64. our laboratory recently demonstrated that the bba64 gene product is necessary for mouse infectivity when b. burgdorferi is transmitted by an infected tick bite, but not via needle inoculation. in this study we investigated the ... | 2011 | 21559293 |
| the management of ixodes scapularis bites in the upper midwest. | ixodes scapularis, commonly referred to as the deer tick, is the vector of lyme disease and anaplasmosis; both illnesses are endemic to the upper midwest. avoidance of i scapularis bites is the primary preventative strategy for both infections. antibiotic prophylaxis has been demonstrated to prevent lyme disease, but similar studies have not investigated antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of anaplasmosis. thus, recommendations regarding the management of i scopularis bites are focused on ... | 2011 | 21560562 |
| nitrosative damage to free and zinc-bound cysteine thiols underlies nitric oxide toxicity in wild-type borrelia burgdorferi. | borrelia burgdorferi encounters potentially harmful reactive nitrogen species (rns) throughout its infective cycle. in this study, diethylamine nonoate (dea/no) was used to characterize the lethal effects of rns on b. burgdorferi. rns produce a variety of dna lesions in a broad spectrum of microbial pathogens; however, levels of the dna deamination product, deoxyinosine, and the numbers of apurinic/apyrimidinic (ap) sites were identical in dna isolated from untreated and dea/no-treated b. burgdo ... | 2011 | 21564333 |
| the midgut transcriptome of phlebotomus (larroussius) perniciosus, a vector of leishmania infantum: comparison of sugar fed and blood fed sand flies. | abstract: | 2011 | 21569254 |
| a snapshot of the ixodes scapularis degradome. | parasitic encoded proteases are essential to regulating interactions between parasites and their hosts and thus they represent attractive anti-parasitic druggable and/or vaccine target. we have utilized annotations of ixodes scapularis proteases in gene bank and version 9.3 merops database to compile an index of at least 233 putatively active and 150 putatively inactive protease enzymes that are encoded by the i. scapularis genome. the 233 putatively active protease homologs hereafter referred t ... | 2011 | 21596113 |
| a host-restricted viral vector for antigen-specific immunization against lyme disease pathogen. | newcastle disease virus (ndv) is an avian virus that is attenuated in primates and is a potential vaccine vector for human use. we evaluated ndv as a vector for expressing selected antigens of the lyme disease pathogen borrelia burgdorferi. a series of recombinant ndvs were generated that expressed intracellular or extracellular forms of two b. burgdorferi antigens: namely, the basic membrane protein a (bmpa) and the outer surface protein c (ospc). expression of the intracellular and extracellul ... | 2011 | 21600949 |
| the hybrid histidine kinase hk1 is part of a two-component system that is essential for survival of borrelia burgdorferi in feeding ixodes scapularis ticks. | two-component systems (tcs) are a principal mechanism by which bacteria adapt to their surroundings. borrelia burgdorferi encodes only two tcs. one is comprised of a histidine kinase, hk2, and the response regulator, rrp2. while the contribution of hk2 remains unclear, rrp2 is part of a regulatory pathway involving the spirochete's alternate sigma factors, rpon and rpos. genes within the rrp2/rpon/rpos regulon function to promote tick transmission and early infection. the other tcs consists of a ... | 2011 | 21606185 |
| plant nbr1 is a selective autophagy substrate and a functional hybrid of the mammalian autophagic adapters nbr1 and p62/sqstm1. | (macro)autophagy encompasses both an unselective, bulk degradation of cytoplasmic contents as well as selective autophagy of damaged organelles, intracellular microbes, protein aggregates, cellular structures and specific soluble proteins. selective autophagy is mediated by autophagic adapters, like p62/sqstm1 and nbr1. p62 and nbr1 are themselves selective autophagy substrates, but they also act as cargo receptors for degradation of other substrates. surprisingly, we found that homologs of nbr1 ... | 2011 | 21606687 |
| phylogenetic distribution of intron positions in alpha-amylase genes of bilateria suggests numerous gains and losses. | most eukaryotes have at least some genes interrupted by introns. while it is well accepted that introns were already present at moderate density in the last eukaryote common ancestor, the conspicuous diversity of intron density among genomes suggests a complex evolutionary history, with marked differences between phyla. the question of the rates of intron gains and loss in the course of evolution and factors influencing them remains controversial. we have investigated a single gene family, alpha ... | 2011 | 21611157 |
| identification of the heat shock protein 70 (hlhsp70) in haemaphysalis longicornis. | a haemaphysalis longicornis heat shock protein 70 (hlhsp70) was identified from a cdna library synthesized from tick eggs. the hlhsp70 cdna is 2311bp in length and encodes 661 amino acid residues with the predicted molecular weight of 72.5kda and an isoelectronic point (pi) of 5.2. it also contains the highly conserved functional motifs of the hsp70 family and a specific endoplasmic reticulum (er) retention signal "kdel" that is common among er-localized proteins. the hlhsp70 exhibits 90% amino ... | 2011 | 21621329 |
| genomic and proteomic analysis of invertebrate iridovirus type 9. | iridoviruses are nuclear cytoplasmic large dna viruses that are receiving increasing attention as sublethal pathogens of a range of insects. invertebrate iridovirus type 9 (iiv-9; wiseana iridovirus) is a member of the major phylogenetic group of iridoviruses for which there is very limited genomic and proteomic information. the genome is 205,791 bp with a %g+c content of 31% encoding 191 predicted genes with approximately 20% repeat sequences located predominantly within coding regions. the rep ... | 2011 | 21632757 |
| density of ixodes scapularis ticks on monhegan island after complete deer removal: a question of avian importation? | questing adult blacklegged tick (ixodes scapularis say) abundance declined markedly three years after the 1999 removal of white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus zimmermann) from monhegan island, me. since 2000, subadult ticks have not been found on norway rats (rattus norvegicus berkenhout); questing nymphs have not been found since 2002. this suggested i. scapularis was reintroduced annually via bird importation of subadult ticks, but unable to complete its two-year life cycle on the island ... | 2011 | 21635637 |
| strain diversity of borrelia burgdorferi in ticks dispersed in north america by migratory birds. | the role of migratory birds in the dispersal of ixodes scapularis ticks in the northeastern u.s. is well established and is presumed to be a major factor in the expansion of the geographic risk for lyme disease. population genetic studies of b. burgdorferi sensu stricto, the agent of lyme disease in this region, consistently reveal the local presence of as many as 15 distinct strain types as designated by major groups of the ospc surface lipoprotein. recent evidence suggests such strain diversit ... | 2011 | 21635638 |
| lymphoadenopathy during lyme borreliosis is caused by spirochete migration-induced specific b cell activation. | lymphadenopathy is a hallmark of acute infection with borrelia burgdorferi, a tick-borne spirochete and causative agent of lyme borreliosis, but the underlying causes and the functional consequences of this lymph node enlargement have not been revealed. the present study demonstrates that extracellular, live spirochetes accumulate in the cortical areas of lymph nodes following infection of mice with either host-adapted, or tick-borne b. burgdorferi and that they, but not inactivated spirochetes, ... | 2011 | 21637808 |
| differential proteomic analysis of rickettsia prowazekii propagated in diverse host backgrounds. | the obligate intracellular growth of rickettsia prowazekii places severe restrictions on the analysis of rickettsial gene expression. with a small genome, predicted to code for 835 proteins, identifying which proteins are differentially expressed in rickettsiae isolated from different hosts or that vary in virulence, is critical to an understanding of rickettsial pathogenicity. we employed an lc-ltq-orbitrap mass spectrometer for the simultaneous acquisition of quantitative ms-only data and tand ... | 2011 | 21642410 |
| the ecology of tick-transmitted infections in the redwood chipmunk (tamias ochrogenys). | the redwood chipmunk contributes to the maintenance of tick-borne diseases in northern california. the range of redwood chipmunks overlaps that of western black-legged ticks and tick-borne disease, including granulocytic anaplasmosis and lyme borreliosis. chipmunks have high anaplasma phagocytophilum pcr- and seroprevalence, are infested with a diversity of ixodes spp. ticks, and are reservoir competent for borrelia burgdorferi. we hypothesized that chipmunks could maintain tick-borne disease on ... | 2011 | 21643481 |
| prevalence of ehrlichia muris in wisconsin deer ticks collected during the mid 1990s. | human ehrlichiosis is due to infection by tick transmitted bacteria of the genus ehrlichia. based on a hypothesis for the biogeography of deer tick transmitted infections, we undertook a focused search for the eurasian e. muris in north american deer ticks. the search was stimulated by anecdotal reports of e. muris-like infection in human ehrlichiosis patients from wisconsin. we analyzed archived adult deer ticks collected in northern wisconsin during the 1990s by specific polymerase chain react ... | 2011 | 21643499 |
| analysis of the hd-gyp domain cyclic dimeric gmp phosphodiesterase reveals a role in motility and the enzootic life cycle of borrelia burgdorferi. | hd-gyp domain cyclic dimeric gmp (c-di-gmp) phosphodiesterases are implicated in motility and virulence in bacteria. borrelia burgdorferi possesses a single set of c-di-gmp-metabolizing enzymes, including a putative hd-gyp domain protein, bb0374. recently, we characterized the eal domain phosphodiesterase pdea. a mutation in pdea resulted in cells that were defective in motility and virulence. here we demonstrate that bb0374/pdeb specifically hydrolyzed c-di-gmp with a k(m) of 2.9 nm, confirming ... | 2011 | 21670168 |
| emergence of a new pathogenic ehrlichia species, wisconsin and minnesota, 2009. | ehrlichiosis is a clinically important, emerging zoonosis. only ehrlichia chaffeensis and e. ewingii have been thought to cause ehrlichiosis in humans in the united states. patients with suspected ehrlichiosis routinely undergo testing to ensure proper diagnosis and to ascertain the cause. | 2011 | 21812671 |
| widespread endogenization of densoviruses and parvoviruses in animal and human genomes. | parvoviruses infect humans and a broad range of animals, from mammals to crustaceans and generally are associated with a variety of acute and chronic diseases. however, many others cause persistent infections and are not known to be associated with any disease. viral persistence is likely related to the ability to integrate into the chromosomal dna and to establish a latent infection. however, there is little evidence for genome integration of parvoviral dna except for adeno-associated virus (aa ... | 2011 | 21795360 |
| generation, analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags from the ectoparasitic mite psoroptes ovis. | abstract: background: sheep scab is caused by psoroptes ovis and is arguably the most important ectoparasitic disease affecting sheep in the uk. the disease is highly contagious and causes and considerable pruritis and irritation and is therefore a major welfare concern. current methods of treatment are unsustainable and in order to elucidate novel methods of disease control a more comprehensive understanding of the parasite is required. to date, no full genomic dna sequence or large scale trans ... | 2011 | 21781297 |
| expression of heat shock proteins and subolesin affects stress responses, anaplasma phagocytophilum infection and questing behaviour in the tick, ixodes scapularis. | we characterized the effects of subolesin and heat shock protein (hsp) expression on ixodes scapularis say (acari: ixodidae) stress responses to heat shock and feeding, questing behaviour and anaplasma phagocytophilum (rickettsiales: anaplasmataceae) infection. ticks and cultured tick cells were analysed before and after subolesin, hsp20 and hsp70 gene knock-down by rna interference. the results of these studies confirm that hsps are involved in the tick cell response to heat stress and that sub ... | 2011 | 21781141 |
| the ability of a topical novel combination of fipronil, amitraz and (s)-methoprene to protect dogs from borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum infections transmitted by ixodes scapularis. | healthy, purpose-bred laboratory beagle dogs that had not been exposed to ticks and were seronegative for borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum were randomly assigned to four groups of eight dogs each. control group 1 was not treated. groups 2, 3 and 4 were treated with a single topical application of a new formulation of fipronil, amitraz and (s)-methoprene (certifect™, merial limited, ga, usa) at 28, 21 or 14 days prior to tick infestation, respectively. each dog was infested with ... | 2011 | 21777736 |
| efficacy of a novel topical combination of fipronil, amitraz and (s)-methoprene for treatment and control of induced infestations with four north american tick species (dermacentor variabilis, ixodes scapularis, amblyomma americanum and amblyomma maculatum) on dogs. | five laboratory studies were conducted to confirm that a single topical dose of the novel combination of fipronil, amitraz and (s)-methoprene, certifect™ (merial limited, ga, usa), is efficacious for the rapid control of pre-existing infestations and the prevention of new infestations with ixodes scapularis, dermacentor variabilis, amblyomma americanum and amblyomma maculatum for at least 28 days on dogs. in each study, 8 male and 8 female purpose-bred, laboratory beagles were randomly assigned ... | 2011 | 21777734 |
| the complexity of rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus genome characterised through detailed analysis of two bac clones. | abstract: background: rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (rmi) a major cattle ectoparasite and tick borne disease vector, impacts on animal welfare and industry productivity. in arthropod research there is an absence of a complete chelicerate genome, which includes ticks, mites, spiders, scorpions and crustaceans. model arthropod genomes such as drosophila and anopheles are too taxonomically distant for a reference in tick genomic sequence analysis. this study focuses on the de-novo assembly of ... | 2011 | 21777481 |
| low-density microarrays for the detection of borrelia burgdorferi s.s. (the lyme disease spirochete) in nymphal ixodes scapularis. | lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in europe and north america. in the hyperendemic lyme disease regions of the eastern united states, nymphal ixodes scapularis are the principal ticks transmitting the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.). approximately 25% of questing nymphs in endemic regions are infected with spirochetes. high throughput-sensitive and specific methods for testing nymphal i. scapularis for infection with b. burgdorferi are clearly ... | 2011 | 21771534 |
| organic parasite control for poultry and rabbits in british columbia, canada. | abstract: plants used for treating endo- and ectoparasites of rabbits and poultry in british columbia included arctium lappa (burdock), artemisia sp. (wormwood), chenopodium album (lambsquarters) and c. ambrosioides (epazote), cirsium arvense (canada thistle), juniperus spp. (juniper), mentha piperita (peppermint), nicotiana sp. (tobacco), papaver somniferum (opium poppy), rubus spp. (blackberry and raspberry relatives), symphytum officinale (comfrey), taraxacum officinale (common dandelion), th ... | 2011 | 21756341 |
| borrelia burgdorferi requires glycerol for maximum fitness during the tick phase of the enzootic cycle. | borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of lyme disease, is a vector-borne pathogen that cycles between a mammalian host and tick vector. this complex life cycle requires that the spirochete modulate its gene expression program to facilitate growth and maintenance in these diverse milieus. b. burgdorferi contains an operon that is predicted to encode proteins that would mediate the uptake and conversion of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone phosphate. previous studies indicated that expression of ... | 2011 | 21750672 |
| detection of bacteria related to candidatus midichloria mitochondrii in tick cell lines. | many ticks have been shown to be infected with intracellular bacteria. one of these bacteria is candidatus midichloria mitochondrii which is the only characterized bacterium that has the ability to invade the mitochondria within ovarian cells and consume them without any effect on the female tick's reproduction. in the present study, eight cell lines derived from the ticks ixodes ricinus, ixodes scapularis, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus, and rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus were exami ... | 2011 | 21748354 |
| an in vivo transfection approach elucidates a role for aedes aegypti thioester-containing proteins in flaviviral infection. | mosquitoes transmit pathogens that cause infectious diseases of global importance. techniques to easily introduce genes into mosquitoes, however, limit investigations of the interaction between microbes and their arthropod vectors. we now show that a cationic liposome significantly enhances delivery and expression of plasmid dna in aedes aegypti and anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. we then introduced the genes for ae. aegypti thioester-containing proteins (aeteps), which are involved in the control ... | 2011 | 21818390 |
| interferon-+¦ influences the composition of leukocytic infiltrates in murine lyme carditis. | interferon (ifn)-+¦ is present in lesions of patients with lyme disease and positively correlates with the severity of manifestations. to investigate the role of ifn+¦ in the development of lyme carditis, wild-type and ifn+¦-deficient c57bl/6 mice were infected with the causative bacterium, borrelia burgdorferi. histological analysis revealed no change in the severity of carditis between wild-type and ifn+¦-deficient mice at 14, 21, 25, and 28 days after infection. however, a distinct shift in t ... | 2011 | 21820995 |
| increasing incidence of ehrlichia chaffeensis and anaplasma phagocytophilum in the united states, 2000-2007. | ehrlichia chaffeensis causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis. these related tick-borne rickettsial organisms can cause severe and fatal illness. during 2000-2007, the reported incidence rate of e. chaffeensis increased from 0.80 to 3.0 cases/million persons/year. the case-fatality rate was 1.9%, and the hospitalization rate was 49%. during 2000-2007, the reported incidence of a. phagocytophilum increased from 1.4 to 3.0 cases/mil ... | 2011 | 21734137 |
| molecular characterization of novel sulfotransferases from the tick, ixodes scapularis. | ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the blacklegged or deer tick, is the main vector of lyme disease in the united states. recent progress in transcriptome research has uncovered hundreds of different proteins expressed in the salivary glands of hard ticks, the majority of which have no known function, and include many novel protein families. we recently identified transcripts coding for two putative cytosolic sulfotransferases in these ticks which recognized phenolic monoamines as their substr ... | 2011 | 21708020 |
| comparative analysis of hemocyte phagocytosis between six species of arthropods as measured by flow cytometry. | phagocytosis of pathogens by hemocytes is a rapid-acting immune response and represents a primary means of limiting microbial infection in some species of arthropods. to survey the relative capacity of hemocyte phagocytosis as a function of the arthropod immune response, we examined the extent of phagocytosis among a wide taxonomic range of arthropod species including a decapod crustacean (litopenaeus vannamei), three ixodid tick species (amblyomma americanum, dermacentor variabilis, and ixodes ... | 2011 | 21843526 |
| ixodes scapularis and borrelia burgdorferi among diverse habitats within a natural area in east-central illinois. | abstract the distributions of the tick vector, ixodes scapularis, and of the etiologic agent of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi (bb), have continued expanding in illinois over the past 20 years, but the extent of their spread is not well known. the role of multiple habitats in the establishment and maintenance of i. scapularis and bb at local scales is not well understood, and the use of integrated approaches to evaluate local scale dynamics is rare. we evaluated habitat diversity and tempora ... | 2011 | 21688974 |
| cyclic di-gmp is essential for the survival of the lyme disease spirochete in ticks. | cyclic dimeric gmp (c-di-gmp) is a bacterial second messenger that modulates many biological processes. although its role in bacterial pathogenesis during mammalian infection has been documented, the role of c-di-gmp in a pathogen's life cycle within a vector host is less understood. the enzootic cycle of the lyme disease pathogen borrelia burgdorferi involves both a mammalian host and an ixodes tick vector. the b. burgdorferi genome encodes a single copy of the diguanylate cyclase gene (rrp1), ... | 2011 | 21738477 |
| borrelia species in ixodes affinis and ixodes scapularis ticks collected from the coastal plain of north carolina. | ixodes affinis and i. scapularis are tick species that are widely distributed in the coastal plain region of north carolina. both tick species are considered enzootic vectors for spirochetal bacteria of the genus borrelia and specifically for b. burgdorferi s.s., the pathogen most often attributed as the cause of lyme disease in the usa. laboratory testing of individual i. affinis and i. scapularis ticks for the presence of borrelia dna was accomplished by pcr, targeting 2 regions of the 16s-23s ... | 2010 | 21771524 |
| evolutionary conserved micrornas are ubiquitously expressed compared to tick-specific mirnas in the cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus. | micrornas (mirnas) are small non-coding rnas that act as regulators of gene expression in eukaryotes modulating a large diversity of biological processes. the discovery of mirnas has provided new opportunities to understand the biology of a number of species. the cattle tick, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus, causes significant economic losses in cattle production worldwide and this drives us to further understand their biology so that effective control measures can be developed. to be able t ... | 2011 | 21699734 |
| development of a baited oral vaccine for use in reservoir-targeted strategies against lyme disease. | lyme disease is a major human health problem which continues to increase in incidence and geographic distribution. as a vector-borne zoonotic disease, lyme disease may be amenable to reservoir targeted strategies for control. we have previously reported that a vaccinia virus (vv) based vaccine expressing outer surface protein a (ospa) of borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, protects inbred strains of laboratory mice against infection by feeding ticks and clears the ticks of ... | 2011 | 21816190 |
| borrelia burgdorferi linear plasmid 38 is dispensable for completion of the mouse-tick infectious cycle. | borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, exists in a complex enzootic cycle, transiting between its vector, ixodes ticks, and a diverse range of vertebrate hosts. b. burgdorferi linear plasmid 38 (lp38) contains several genes that are differentially regulated in response to conditions mimicking the tick or mouse environments, suggesting that these plasmid-borne genes may encode proteins important for the b. burgdorferi infectious cycle. some of these genes encode potential viru ... | 2011 | 21708994 |
| a tick mannose-binding lectin inhibitor interferes with the vertebrate complement cascade to enhance transmission of the lyme disease agent. | the lyme disease agent borrelia burgdorferi is primarily transmitted to vertebrates by ixodes ticks. the classical and alternative complement pathways are important in borrelia eradication by the vertebrate host. we recently identified a tick salivary protein, designated p8, which reduced complement-mediated killing of borrelia. we now discover that p8 interferes with the human lectin complement cascade, resulting in impaired neutrophil phagocytosis and chemotaxis and diminished borrelia lysis. ... | 2011 | 21843870 |
| mechanisms of obligatory intracellular infection with anaplasma phagocytophilum. | anaplasma phagocytophilum persists in nature by cycling between mammals and ticks. human infection by the bite of an infected tick leads to a potentially fatal emerging disease called human granulocytic anaplasmosis. a. phagocytophilum is an obligatory intracellular bacterium that replicates inside mammalian granulocytes and the salivary gland and midgut cells of ticks. a. phagocytophilum evolved the remarkable ability to hijack the regulatory system of host cells. a. phagocytophilum alters vesi ... | 2011 | 21734244 |