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Tick thioester-containing proteins and phagocytosis do not affect transmission of Borrelia afzelii from the competent vector ixodes ricinus

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    SYSNO ASEP0479564
    Document TypeJ - Journal Article
    R&D Document TypeJournal Article
    Subsidiary JČlánek ve WOS
    TitleTick thioester-containing proteins and phagocytosis do not affect transmission of Borrelia afzelii from the competent vector ixodes ricinus
    Author(s) Urbanová, Veronika (BC-A) RID, ORCID
    Hajdušek, Ondřej (BC-A) RID, ORCID
    Hönig Mondeková, Helena (BC-A)
    Šíma, Radek (BC-A) RID, ORCID
    Kopáček, Petr (BC-A) RID, ORCID
    Number of authors5
    Article number73
    Source TitleFrontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media - ISSN 2235-2988
    Roč. 7, MAR (2017)
    Number of pages11 s.
    Publication formOnline - E
    Languageeng - English
    CountryCH - Switzerland
    KeywordsBorrelia ; complement ; Ixodes ; phagocytosis ; thioester-containing proteins
    Subject RIVEC - Immunology
    OECD categoryImmunology
    R&D ProjectsGJ15-12006Y GA ČR - Czech Science Foundation (CSF)
    GA13-11043S GA ČR - Czech Science Foundation (CSF)
    GA17-27386S GA ČR - Czech Science Foundation (CSF)
    GA17-27393S GA ČR - Czech Science Foundation (CSF)
    Institutional supportBC-A - RVO:60077344
    UT WOS000396351500001
    EID SCOPUS85021272739
    DOI10.3389/fcimb.2017.00073
    AnnotationThe present concept of the transmission of Lyme disease from Borrelia-infected Ixodes sp. ticks to the naïve host assumes that a low number of spirochetes that manage to penetrate the midgut epithelium migrate through the hemocoel to the salivary glands and subsequently infect the host with the aid of immunomodulatory compounds present in tick saliva. Therefore, humoral and/or cellular immune reactions within the tick hemocoel may play an important role in tick competence to act as a vector for borreliosis. To test this hypothesis we have examined complement-like reactions in the hemolymph of the hard tick Ixodes ricinus against Borrelia afzelii (the most common vector and causative agent of Lyme disease in Europe). We demonstrate that I. ricinus hemolymph does not exhibit borreliacidal effects comparable to complement-mediated lysis of bovine sera. However, after injection of B. afzelii into the tick hemocoel, the spirochetes were efficiently phagocytosed by tick hemocytes and this cellular defense was completely eliminated by pre-injection of latex beads. As tick thioester-containing proteins (T-TEPs) are components of the tick complement system, we performed RNAi-mediated silencing of all nine genes encoding individual T-TEPs followed by in vitro phagocytosis assays. Silencing of two molecules related to the C3 complement component (IrC3-2 and IrC3-3) significantly suppressed phagocytosis of B. afzelii, while knockdown of IrTep (insect type TEP) led to its stimulation. However, RNAi-mediated silencing of T-TEPs or elimination of phagocytosis by injection of latex beads in B. afzelii-infected I. ricinus nymphs had no obvious impact on the transmission of spirochetes to naïve mice, as determined by B. afzelii infection of murine tissues following tick infestation. This result supports the concept that Borrelia spirochetes are capable of avoiding complement-related reactions within the hemocoel of ticks competent to transmit Lyme disease.
    WorkplaceBiology Centre (since 2006)
    ContactDana Hypšová, eje@eje.cz, Tel.: 387 775 214
    Year of Publishing2018
Number of the records: 1  

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