All For One and One For All on the Tick-Host Battlefield

0461855 - BC 2017 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Chmelař, J. - Kotál, Jan - Pedra, J. H. F. - Kotsyfakis, Michalis
All For One and One For All on the Tick-Host Battlefield.
Trends in Parasitology. Roč. 32, č. 5 (2016), s. 368-377. ISSN 1471-4922. E-ISSN 1471-5007
R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP502/12/2409
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : immunomodulation * multigenic protein families * pluripotency * redundancy * silent antigens * tick salivary proteins
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 6.333, year: 2016

The saliva of ixodid ticks contains a mixture of bioactive molecules that target a wide spectrum of host defense mechanisms to allow ticks to feed on the vertebrate host for several days. Tick salivary proteins cluster in multigenic protein families, and individual family members display redundancy and pluripotency in their action to ameliorate or evade host immune responses. It is now clear that members of different protein families can target the same cellular or molecular pathway of the host physiological response to tick feeding. We present and discuss our hypothesis that redundancy and pluripotency evolved in tick salivary immunomodulators to evade immune recognition by the host while retaining the immunomodulatory potential of their saliva.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0261422