scholarly journals Deorphanization and target validation of cross-tick species conserved novel Amblyomma americanum tick saliva protein

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 439-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Mulenga ◽  
Tae Kwon Kim ◽  
Adriana Mércia Guaratini Ibelli
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Target Validation ◽  
Tick Saliva

scholarly journals Tick Saliva and the Alpha-Gal Syndrome: Finding a Needle in a Haystack

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surendra Raj Sharma ◽  
Shahid Karim
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Specific Ige ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Tick Bites ◽  
Tick Saliva ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Significant Public Health

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are significant public health concerns. Bioactive molecules in tick saliva facilitate prolonged blood-feeding and transmission of tick-borne pathogens to the vertebrate host. Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a newly reported food allergy, is believed to be induced by saliva proteins decorated with a sugar molecule, the oligosaccharide galactose-⍺-1,3-galactose (α-gal). This syndrome is characterized by an IgE antibody-directed hypersensitivity against α-gal. The α-gal antigen was discovered in the salivary glands and saliva of various tick species including, the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum). The underlying immune mechanisms linking tick bites with α-gal-specific IgE production are poorly understood and are crucial to identify and establish novel treatments for this disease. This article reviews the current understanding of AGS and its involvement with tick species.

Collaborating With Community Scientists Across Arkansas to Update Tick Distributions and Pathogen Prevalence of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia and Ehrlichia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley P G Dowling ◽  
Sean G Young ◽  
Kelly Loftin
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia ◽  
Community Science ◽  
Tick Distributions

Abstract Tick-borne diseases (TBD) in humans have dramatically increased over recent years and although the bulk of cases are attributable to Lyme Disease in the Northeastern US, TBDs like spotted fever rickettsiosis and ehrlichiosis heavily impact other parts of the country, namely the mid-south. Understanding tick and pathogen distributions and prevalence traditionally requires active surveillance, which quickly becomes logistically and financially unrealistic as the geographic area of focus increases. We report on a community science effort to survey ticks across Arkansas to obtain updated data on tick distributions and prevalence of human tick-borne disease-causing pathogens in the most commonly encountered ticks. During a 20-mo period, Arkansans submitted 9,002 ticks from 71 of the 75 counties in the state. Amblyomma americanum was the most common tick species received, accounting for 76% of total tick submissions. Nearly 6,000 samples were screened for spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) and Ehrlichia, resulting in general prevalence rates of 37.4 and 5.1%, respectively. In addition, 145 ticks (2.5%) were infected with both SFGR and Ehrlichia. Arkansas Department of Health reported 2,281 spotted fever and 380 ehrlichiosis cases during the same period as our tick collections. Since known SFGR vectors Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma maculatum were not the most common ticks submitted, nor did they have the highest prevalence rates of SFGR, it appears that other tick species play the primary role in infecting humans with SFGR. Our investigation demonstrated the utility of community science to efficiently and economically survey ticks and identify vector-borne disease risk in Arkansas.

scholarly journals Alpha-Gal and Cross-Reactive Carbohydrate Determinants in the N-Glycans of Salivary Glands in the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoonseong Park ◽  
Donghun Kim ◽  
Gunavanthi Boorgula ◽  
Kristof De Schutter ◽  
Guy Smagghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salivary Glands ◽  
Molecular Mimicry ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Tick Saliva ◽  
Bioactive Materials ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Lone Star Tick ◽  
Meat Allergy ◽  
Animal Pathogens

Ticks are important ectoparasites and vectors of numerous human and animal pathogens. Ticks secrete saliva that contains various bioactive materials to evade the host defense system, and often facilitates the pathogen transmission. In addition, the Lone star tick saliva is thought to be the sensitizer in red meat allergy that is characterized by an allergic reaction to glycan moieties carrying terminal galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (aGal). To assess N-glycome of Amblyomma americanum, we examined the N-glycan structures in male and female salivary glands at three different feeding stages and in carcasses of partially fed lone star ticks. We also surveyed the genes involved in the N-glycosylation in the tick species. The aGal epitopes and cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCD) increases over time after the onset of blood feeding in both male and female A. americanum. These CCDs include xylosylation of the core mannose, 1,3-mono and 1,3- and 1,6-difucosylations of the basal GlcNac and mono- or diantennary aGal. Combinations of both xylosylation and aGal and fucosylation and aGal were also found on the N-glycan structures. While the enzymes required for the early steps of the N-glycosylation pathway are quite conserved, the enzymes involved in the later stages of N-glycan maturation in the Golgi apparatus are highly diverged from those of insects. Most of all, we propose that the aGal serves as a molecular mimicry of bioactive proteins during tick feedings on mammalian hosts, while it contributes as a sensitizer of allergy in atypical host human.

scholarly journals Modeling Potential Habitat for Amblyomma Tick Species in California

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Pascoe ◽  
Matteo Marcantonio ◽  
Cyril Caminade ◽  
Janet E. Foley
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Ecological Diversity ◽  
Amblyomma Cajennense ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Presence Data ◽  
Amblyomma Ticks ◽  
Maxent Algorithm

The Amblyomma genus of ticks comprises species that are aggressive human biters and vectors of pathogens. Numerous species in the genus are undergoing rapid range expansion. Amblyomma ticks have occasionally been introduced into California, but as yet, no established populations have been reported in the state. Because California has high ecological diversity and is a transport hub for potentially parasitized humans and animals, the risk of future Amblyomma establishment may be high. We used ecological niche modeling to predict areas in California suitable for four tick species that pose high risk to humans: Amblyomma americanum, Amblyomma maculatum, Amblyomma cajennense and Amblyomma mixtum. We collected presence data in the Americas for each species from the published literature and online databases. Twenty-three climatic and ecological variables were used in a MaxEnt algorithm to predict the distribution of each species. The minimum temperature of the coldest month was an important predictor for all four species due to high mortality of Amblyomma at low temperatures. Areas in California appear to be ecologically suitable for A. americanum, A. maculatum, and A. cajennense, but not A. mixtum. These findings could inform targeted surveillance prior to an invasion event, to allow mitigation actions to be quickly implemented.

scholarly journals AC–DC electropenetrography unmasks fine temporal details of feeding behaviors for two tick species on unsedated hosts

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn E. Reif ◽  
Elaine A. Backus
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Slow Phase ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Tick Feeding ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractTicks are significant nuisance pests and vectors of pathogens for humans, companion animals, and livestock. Limited information on tick feeding behaviors hampers development and rigorous evaluation of tick and tick-borne pathogen control measures. To address this obstacle, the present study examined the utility of AC–DC electropenetrography (EPG) to monitor feeding behaviors of adult Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma americanum in real-time. EPG recording was performed during early stages of slow-phase tick feeding using an awake calf host. Both tick species exhibited discernable and stereotypical waveforms of low-, medium-, and high-frequencies. Similar waveform families and types were observed for both tick species; however, species-specific waveform structural differences were also observed. Tick waveforms were hierarchically categorized into three families containing seven types. Some waveform types were conserved by both species (e.g., Types 1b, 1c, 2b, 2c) while others were variably performed among species and individually recorded ticks (e.g., Types 1a, 2a, 2d). This study provides a proof-of-principle demonstration of the feasibility for using EPG to monitor, evaluate, and compare tick feeding behaviors, providing a foundation for future studies aimed at correlating specific feeding behaviors with waveforms, and ultimately the influence of control measures and pathogens on tick feeding behaviors.

scholarly journals Effects of Climate on the Variation in Abundance of Three Tick Species in Illinois

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E A Bacon ◽  
H Kopsco ◽  
P Gronemeyer ◽  
N Mateus-Pinilla ◽  
R L Smith
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Differential Impact ◽  
Tick Abundance ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Tick Borne Disease

Abstract The range of ticks in North America has been steadily increasing likely, in part, due to climate change. Along with it, there has been a rise in cases of tick-borne disease. Among those medically important tick species of particular concern are Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), and Amblyomma americanum Linneaus (Acari: Ixodidae). The aim of this study was to determine if climate factors explain existing differences in abundance of the three aforementioned tick species between two climatically different regions of Illinois (Central and Southern), and if climate variables impact each species differently. We used both zero-inflated regression approaches and Bayesian network analyses to assess relationships among environmental variables and tick abundance. Results suggested that the maximum average temperature and total precipitation are associated with differential impact on species abundance and that this difference varied by region. Results also reinforced a differential level of resistance to desiccation among these tick species. Our findings help to further define risk periods of tick exposure for the general public, and reinforce the importance of responding to each tick species differently.

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