Ticks must durably suppress vertebrate host responses (hemostasis, inflammation, immunity) to avoid rejection and act as vectors of many pathogenic microorganisms that cause disease in humans and animals. Transcriptomics and proteomics studies have been used to study tick-host-pathogen interactions and have facilitated the systematic characterization of salivary composition and molecular dynamics throughout tick feeding. Tick saliva contains a complement of protease inhibitors that are differentially produced during feeding, many of which inhibit blood coagulation, platelet aggregation, vasodilation, and immunity. Here we focus on two major groups of protease inhibitors, the small molecular weight Kunitz inhibitors and cystatins. We discuss their role in tick-host-pathogen interactions, how they mediate the interaction between ticks and their hosts, and how they might be exploited both by pathogens to invade hosts and as candidates for the treatment of various human pathologies.
- MeSH
- aprotinin chemie metabolismus MeSH
- cystatiny chemie metabolismus MeSH
- inhibitory proteas metabolismus MeSH
- interakce hostitele a parazita * MeSH
- klíšťata MeSH
- proteomika MeSH
- slinné žlázy metabolismus MeSH
- sliny metabolismus MeSH
- transkriptom MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Tick saliva contains a number of effector molecules that inhibit host immunity and facilitate pathogen transmission. How tick proteins regulate immune signaling, however, is incompletely understood. Here, we describe that loop 2 of sialostatin L2, an anti-inflammatory tick protein, binds to annexin A2 and impairs the formation of the NLRC4 inflammasome during infection with the rickettsial agent Anaplasma phagocytophilum Macrophages deficient in annexin A2 secreted significantly smaller amounts of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 and had a defect in NLRC4 inflammasome oligomerization and caspase-1 activation. Accordingly, Annexin a2-deficient mice were more susceptible to A. phagocytophilum infection and showed splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, and monocytopenia. Providing translational support to our findings, better binding of annexin A2 to sialostatin L2 in sera from 21 out of 23 infected patients than in sera from control individuals was also demonstrated. Overall, we establish a unique mode of inflammasome evasion by a pathogen, centered on a blood-feeding arthropod.
- MeSH
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum genetika imunologie MeSH
- annexin A2 chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- arachnida jako vektory chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- cystatiny chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- ehrlichióza imunologie mikrobiologie patologie MeSH
- Escherichia coli genetika metabolismus MeSH
- imunitní únik * MeSH
- inflamasomy genetika imunologie MeSH
- interleukin-18 genetika imunologie MeSH
- interleukin-1beta genetika imunologie MeSH
- kaspasa 1 genetika imunologie MeSH
- kaspasy genetika imunologie MeSH
- klíště chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- makrofágy imunologie mikrobiologie MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- myši MeSH
- protein - isoformy chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- proteiny regulující apoptózu chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- proteiny vázající vápník chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- regulace genové exprese MeSH
- rekombinantní proteiny chemie genetika imunologie MeSH
- sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
- signální transdukce MeSH
- vazba proteinů MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
We have previously demonstrated that two salivary cysteine protease inhibitors from the Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) vector Ixodes scapularis- namely sialostatins L and L2 - play an important role in tick biology, as demonstrated by the fact that silencing of both sialostatins in tandem results in severe feeding defects. Here we show that sialostatin L2 - but not sialostatin L - facilitates the growth of B. burgdorferi in murine skin. To examine the structural basis underlying these differential effects of the two sialostatins, we have determined the crystal structures of both sialostatin L and L2. This is the first structural analysis of cystatins from an invertebrate source. Sialostatin L2 crystallizes as a monomer with an 'unusual' conformation of the N-terminus, while sialostatin L crystallizes as a domain-swapped dimer with an N-terminal conformation similar to other cystatins. Deletion of the 'unusual' N-terminal five residues of sialostatin L2 results in marked changes in its selectivity, suggesting that this region is a particularly important determinant of the biochemical activity of sialostatin L2. Collectively, our results reveal the structure of two tick salivary components that facilitate vector blood feeding and that one of them also supports pathogen transmission to the vertebrate host.
- MeSH
- Borrelia burgdorferi patogenita MeSH
- cystatiny chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- klíště chemie mikrobiologie MeSH
- lymeská nemoc přenos MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- myši inbrední C3H MeSH
- myši MeSH
- rekombinantní proteiny chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
- sekvenční seřazení MeSH
- slinné cystatiny chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- terciární struktura proteinů MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural MeSH
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH