Tick saliva is a rich source of pharmacologically and immunologically active molecules. These salivary components are indispensable for successful blood feeding on vertebrate hosts and are believed to facilitate the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Here we present the functional and structural characterization of Iripin-3, a protein expressed in the salivary glands of the tick Ixodes ricinus, a European vector of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease. Belonging to the serpin superfamily of protease inhibitors, Iripin-3 strongly inhibited the proteolytic activity of serine proteases kallikrein and matriptase. In an in vitro setup, Iripin-3 was capable of modulating the adaptive immune response as evidenced by reduced survival of mouse splenocytes, impaired proliferation of CD4+ T lymphocytes, suppression of the T helper type 1 immune response, and induction of regulatory T cell differentiation. Apart from altering acquired immunity, Iripin-3 also inhibited the extrinsic blood coagulation pathway and reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated bone marrow-derived macrophages. In addition to its functional characterization, we present the crystal structure of cleaved Iripin-3 at 1.95 Å resolution. Iripin-3 proved to be a pluripotent salivary serpin with immunomodulatory and anti-hemostatic properties that could facilitate tick feeding via the suppression of host anti-tick defenses. Physiological relevance of Iripin-3 activities observed in vitro needs to be supported by appropriate in vivo experiments.
- MeSH
- adaptivní imunita účinky léků MeSH
- aktivace lymfocytů účinky léků MeSH
- antikoagulancia izolace a purifikace farmakologie MeSH
- cytokiny metabolismus MeSH
- hemokoagulace účinky léků MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny izolace a purifikace farmakologie MeSH
- imunologické faktory izolace a purifikace farmakologie MeSH
- inhibitory proteas izolace a purifikace farmakologie MeSH
- klíště metabolismus MeSH
- králíci MeSH
- kultivované buňky MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- lymfocyty účinky léků imunologie metabolismus MeSH
- morčata MeSH
- myši inbrední C3H MeSH
- myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
- myši transgenní MeSH
- proliferace buněk účinky léků MeSH
- slezina účinky léků imunologie metabolismus MeSH
- slinné proteiny a peptidy izolace a purifikace farmakologie MeSH
- sliny metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- králíci MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- morčata MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
A species of the poorly studied order Embioptera, the webspinner Oligotoma saundersii, is investigated for its complement of neuropeptides of the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) family. A methanolic extract of its corpora cardiaca (CC) is able to effect carbohydrate mobilization in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry clearly identified one decapeptide as a member of the AKH family in the CC of O. saundersii. The primary structure of this peptide, code-named Olisa-AKH, is elucidated as pEVNFSPNWGG amide. It is a novel member of the AKH family and in its synthetic form it has strong hypertrehalosemic activity in the American cockroach. This effect may be explained by its near-identical structure compared with one of the endogenous cockroach AKH peptides. An analog with the reversed order of the proline and asparagine residues, viz. N(6)P(7)-Olisa-AKH, had negligible activity thus, shedding light on the requirements of the cockroach AKH receptor. From reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography experiments, we can conclude that the CC from an individual webspinner contains less than one pmol of Olisa-AKH. Comparison of the AKH sequences from the major orders of the Polyneoptera does not point to a close phylogenetic relationship between webspinners and stick insects.
- MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny * chemie genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- neuropeptidy * chemie genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Periplaneta chemie genetika MeSH
- vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Novel members of the adipokinetic hormone family of peptides have been identified from the corpora cardiaca (CC) of two species of beetles representing two families, the Silphidae and the Coccinellidae. A crude CC extract (0.3 gland equivalents) of the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides, was active in mobilizing trehalose in a heterologous assay using the cockroach Periplaneta americana, whereas the CC extract (0.5 gland equivalents) of the ladybird beetle, Harmonia axyridis, exhibited no hypertrehalosemic activity. Primary sequences of one adipokinetic hormone from each species were elucidated by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The multiple MS(N) electrospray mass data revealed an octapeptide with an unusual tyrosine residue at position 4 for each species: pGlu-Leu-Thr-Tyr-Ser-Thr-Gly-Trp amide for N. vespilloides (code-named Nicve-AKH) and pGlu-Ile-Asn-Tyr-Ser-Thr-Gly-Trp amide for H. axyridis (code-named Harax-AKH). Assignment of the correct sequences was confirmed by synthesis of the peptides and co-elution in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection or by LC-MS. Moreover, synthetic peptides were shown to be active in the heterologous cockroach assay system, but Harax-AKH only at a dose of 30 pmol, which explains the negative result with the crude CC extract. It appears that the tyrosine residue at position 4 can be used as a diagnostic feature for certain beetle adipokinetic peptides, because this feature has not been found in another order other than Coleoptera.
- MeSH
- adipokiny chemie genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- brouci chemie genetika MeSH
- hmyzí hormony chemie genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny chemie genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- peptidy chemie genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- sekvence aminokyselin * MeSH
- tyrosin chemie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
The basal caeliferan family Tetrigidae is investigated to identify neuropeptides belonging to the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) family. The pygmy grasshopper Tetrix subulata contains in its corpus cardiacum two octapeptides as revealed by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The less abundant peptide is the well-known Schgr-AKH-II (pELNFSTGW amide) which is suggested to be the ancestral AKH of Caelifera and Ensifera. The second peptide, Tetsu-AKH (pEFNFTPGW amide), is novel and quite unusual with its third aromatic residue at position 2. It is thought to be autapomorphic for Caelifera. Tetsu-AKH has hyperlipemic activity in T. subulata and in Schistocerca gregaria.
- MeSH
- adipokiny chemie izolace a purifikace farmakologie MeSH
- corpora allata metabolismus MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny chemie izolace a purifikace farmakologie MeSH
- kobylky chemie MeSH
- metabolismus lipidů účinky léků MeSH
- molekulová hmotnost MeSH
- sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Bumblebee males (Hymenoptera) produce species-specific labial gland secretions called marking pheromones (MPs). MPs generally consist of terpenoids and fatty-acid-derived aliphatic compounds with various chain lengths predominantly containing one or no double bonds. The unsaturated fatty-acid-derived MP components were hypothesized to be produced by fatty acid desaturases (FADs) that exhibit diverse substrate specificities. To address this hypothesis, we isolated and functionally characterized FADs from three bumblebee species: Bombus lucorum, Bombus terrestris, and Bombus lapidarius. By employing RNA sequencing of the male labial glands and fat bodies of B. lucorum and B. terrestris, we identified five paralogous FAD-like sequences but only two FAD lineages were abundant and differentially expressed in the labial glands. We found that abundant FAD lineages were also expressed in the labial gland and fat body of Bombus lapidarius. Functional characterization of FADs in a yeast expression system confirmed that Δ4-FADs exhibited a unique Δ4-desaturase activity exclusively on 14-carbon fatty acyls and Δ9-FADs displayed Δ9-desaturase activity on 14- to 18-carbon fatty acyls. These results indicate that Δ9-FADs are involved in the biosynthesis of major unsaturated components of MPs in B. lucorum and B. lapidarius despite the diverse MP composition of these bumblebee species. The contribution of lipases, acyltransferases, esterases, and fatty acid reductases to production of the species-specific MP composition is also discussed in light of the transcriptomic data obtained in this study.
- MeSH
- desaturasy mastných kyselin izolace a purifikace metabolismus MeSH
- feromony biosyntéza MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny izolace a purifikace metabolismus MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- stearyl-CoA-desaturasa metabolismus MeSH
- včely enzymologie genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
BACKGROUND: Enzymatic allergens of storage mites that contaminate stored food products are poorly characterized. We describe biochemical and immunological properties of the native alpha-amylase allergen Aca s 4 from Acarus siro, a medically important storage mite. RESULTS: A. siro produced a high level of alpha-amylase activity attributed to Aca s 4. This enzyme was purified and identified by protein sequencing and LC-MS/MS analysis. Aca s 4 showed a distinct inhibition pattern and an unusual alpha-amylolytic activity with low sensitivity to activation by chloride ions. Homology modeling of Aca s 4 revealed a structural change in the chloride-binding site that may account for this activation pattern. Aca s 4 was recognized by IgE from house dust mite-sensitive patients, and potential epitopes for cross-reactivity with house dust mite group 4 allergens were found. CONCLUSIONS: We present the first protein-level characterization of a group 4 allergen from storage mites. Due to its high production and IgE reactivity, Aca s 4 is potentially relevant to allergic hypersensitivity.
- MeSH
- Acaridae enzymologie imunologie MeSH
- alergeny chemie imunologie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- alergie krev imunologie MeSH
- alfa-amylasy chemie imunologie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- feces chemie MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny chemie imunologie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- imunoglobulin E krev MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
- sekvenční seřazení MeSH
- strukturní homologie proteinů MeSH
- terciární struktura proteinů MeSH
- vazba proteinů MeSH
- zkřížené reakce MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Ixodes ricinus is one the most abundant tick species in Europe and these ticks transmit pathogens causing human and animal diseases. The cattle ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) spp., affect cattle production in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Development of vaccines directed against tick proteins may reduce tick infestations and the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. However, a limiting step in tick vaccine development has been the identification of tick protective antigens. Herein, the tick iron metabolism pathway was targeted in an effort to identify new tick protective antigens. Recombinant I. ricinus (IrFER2) and Rhipicephalus microplus (RmFER2) ferritin 2 proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and used to immunize rabbits and cattle, respectively. Vaccination with IrFER2 reduced I. ricinus tick numbers, weight and fertility in rabbits with an overall vaccine efficacy (E) of 98%. Control of cattle tick, R. microplus and Rhipicephalus annulatus infestations was obtained in vaccinated cattle with overall E of 64% and 72%, respectively. Notably, the efficacy of the RmFER2 vaccine was similar to that obtained with Bm86 against R. microplus. These collective results demonstrated the feasibility of using ferritin 2 to develop vaccines for the control of tick infestations.
- MeSH
- Escherichia coli genetika MeSH
- ferritin antagonisté a inhibitory imunologie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory imunologie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- infestace klíšťaty prevence a kontrola veterinární MeSH
- klíště imunologie MeSH
- králíci parazitologie MeSH
- nemoci skotu parazitologie prevence a kontrola MeSH
- Rhipicephalus imunologie MeSH
- skot MeSH
- syntetické vakcíny imunologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- králíci parazitologie MeSH
- skot MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
