BACKGROUND: Ticks cause massive damage to livestock and vaccines are one sustainable substitute for the acaricides currently heavily used to control infestations. To guide antigen discovery for a vaccine that targets the gamut of parasitic strategies mediated by tick saliva and enables immunological memory, we exploited a transcriptome constructed from salivary glands from all stages of Rhipicephalus microplus ticks feeding on genetically tick-resistant and susceptible bovines. RESULTS: Different levels of host anti-tick immunity affected gene expression in tick salivary glands; we thus selected four proteins encoded by genes weakly expressed in ticks attempting to feed on resistant hosts or otherwise abundantly expressed in ticks fed on susceptible hosts; these sialoproteins mediate four functions of parasitism deployed by male ticks and that do not induce antibodies in naturally infected, susceptible bovines. We then evaluated in tick-susceptible heifers an alum-adjuvanted vaccine formulated with recombinant proteins. Parasite performance (i.e. weight and numbers of females finishing their parasitic cycle) and titres of antigen-specific antibodies were significantly reduced or increased, respectively, in vaccinated versus control heifers, conferring an efficacy of 73.2%; two of the antigens were strong immunogens, rich in predicted T-cell epitopes and challenge infestations boosted antibody responses against them. CONCLUSION: Mining sialotranscriptomes guided by the immunity of tick-resistant hosts selected important targets and infestations boosted immune memory against salivary antigens.

Departament of Biochemistry and Immunology Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine University of São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP 14049 900 Brazil

Department of Genetics and Evolution Federal University of São Carlos São Carlos SP 13565 905 Brazil

Faculty of Biological Sciences University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice 37005 Czech Republic

Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Bethesda MD 20852 USA

LGB Faculdade de Tecnologia de Araçatuba Araçatuba SP 16052045 Brazil

LGG Division of Pulmonary Allergy and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Emory University Atlanta GA 30322 USA

Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing University of São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP 14049 902 Brazil

São Paulo Institute of Animal Science Nova Odessa SP 13460 000 Brazil

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