New defensins from hard and soft ticks: Similarities, differences, and phylogenetic analyses

0342882 - BC 2011 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Chrudimská, Tereza - Chrudimský, Tomáš - Golovchenko, Maryna - Rudenko, Natalia - Grubhoffer, Libor
New defensins from hard and soft ticks: Similarities, differences, and phylogenetic analyses.
Veterinary Parasitology. Roč. 167, 2/4 (2010), s. 298-303. ISSN 0304-4017. E-ISSN 1873-2550
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA524/06/1479; GA ČR GD206/09/H026; GA MŠMT(CZ) LC06009
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518
Keywords : innate immunity * Ixodidae * Argasidae * defensin
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 2.331, year: 2010

Despite the importance of ticks as vectors of disease very little is known about their immune system. Antimicrobial peptides, including defensins (phylogenetically ancient antibacterial peptides) are major components of innate immunity in ticks that have been shown to provide protection against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoan parasites. With the aim of studying the evolution of the genes involved in tick defense, we identified the preprodefensin genes from four Ornithodoros tick species (O. papillipes: isoforms A, B, and D; O. tartakovskyi and O. puertoricensis: isoforms A and B; O. rostratus: isoform A) and from two Dermacentor tick species (D. reticulatus and D. marginatus: one isoform) not previously described. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Ornithodoros defensin isoforms (A, B, C, and D) form 4 separate clades, while hard tick defensins are divided into several branches based on particular tick species.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0185493