Ticks are blood-feeding parasites and vectors of serious human and animal diseases. Ixodes ricinus is a common tick in Europe, transmitting tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme borreliosis, anaplasmosis, or babesiosis. Immunization of hosts with recombinant tick proteins has, in theory, the potential to interfere with tick feeding and block transmission of pathogens from the tick to the host. However, the efficacy of tick antigens has, to date, not been fully sufficient to achieve this. We have focused on 11 in silico identified genes encoding proteins potentially involved in tick iron and heme metabolism. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) expression profiling was carried out to preferentially target proteins that are up-regulated during the blood meal. RNA interference (RNAi) was then used to score the relative importance of these genes in tick physiology. Finally, we performed vaccination screens to test the suitability of these proteins as vaccine candidates. These newly identified tick antigens have the potential to improve the available anti-tick vaccines.

Institute of Parasitology Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences Branisovska 31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic

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Activation of the tick Toll pathway to control infection of Ixodes ricinus by the apicomplexan parasite Babesia microti

Blood-feeding adaptations and virome assessment of the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae guided by RNA-seq

Haem-responsive gene transporter enables mobilization of host haem in ticks

RNA-seq analyses of the midgut from blood- and serum-fed Ixodes ricinus ticks

Acquisition of exogenous haem is essential for tick reproduction