'Omics' technologies have facilitated the identification of hundreds to thousands of tick molecules that mediate tick feeding and play a role in the transmission of tick-borne diseases. Deep sequencing methodologies have played a key role in this knowledge accumulation, profoundly facilitating the study of the biology of disease vectors lacking reference genomes. For example, the nucleotide sequences of the entire set of tick salivary effectors, the so-called tick 'sialome', now contain at least one order of magnitude more transcript sequences compared to similar projects based on Sanger sequencing. Tick feeding is a complex and dynamic process, and while the dynamic 'sialome' is thought to mediate tick feeding success, exactly how transcriptome dynamics relate to tick-host-pathogen interactions is still largely unknown. The identification and, importantly, the functional analysis of the tick 'sialome' is expected to shed light on this 'black box'. This information will be crucial for developing strategies to block pathogen transmission, not only for anti-tick vaccine development but also the discovery and development of new, pharmacologically active compounds for human diseases.
- MeSH
- genom fyziologie MeSH
- interakce hostitele a patogenu MeSH
- klíšťata genetika fyziologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- proteomika * MeSH
- slinné žlázy fyziologie MeSH
- transkriptom fyziologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Regulatory factors controlling tick salivary glands (SGs) are direct upstream neural signaling pathways arising from the tick's central nervous system. Here we investigated the cholinergic signaling pathway in the SG of two hard tick species. We reconstructed the organization of the cholinergic gene locus, and then used in situ hybridization to localize mRNA encoding choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in specific neural cells in the Ixodes synganglion. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that cholinergic axonal projections exclusively reached type I acini in the SG of both Ixodes species. In type I acini, the rich network of cholinergic axons terminate within the basolateral infoldings of the lamellate cells. We also characterized two types (A and B) of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), which were expressed in Ixodes SG. We pharmacologically assessed mAChR-A to monitor intracellular calcium mobilization upon receptor activation. In vivo injection of vesamicol-a VAChT blocker-at the cholinergic synapse, suppressed forced water uptake by desiccated ticks, while injection of atropine, an mAChR-A antagonist, did not show any effect on water volume uptake. This study has uncovered a novel neurotransmitter signaling pathway in Ixodes SG, and suggests its role in water uptake by type I acini in desiccated ticks.
- MeSH
- acinární buňky metabolismus fyziologie MeSH
- axony metabolismus MeSH
- centrální nervový systém metabolismus MeSH
- cholin-O-acetyltransferasa genetika metabolismus MeSH
- cholinergní látky metabolismus MeSH
- klíště metabolismus MeSH
- messenger RNA metabolismus MeSH
- neurony cholinergní metabolismus fyziologie MeSH
- neurony metabolismus MeSH
- signální transdukce genetika MeSH
- slinné žlázy metabolismus fyziologie MeSH
- vezikulární transportní proteiny acetylcholinu genetika metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- salivace MeSH
- slinné žlázy fyziologie MeSH
- sliny * fyziologie chemie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- přehledy MeSH
- MeSH
- anorganické látky chemie MeSH
- organické látky chemie MeSH
- peptidy chemie MeSH
- proteiny chemie MeSH
- salivace MeSH
- slinné žlázy fyziologie MeSH
- sliny fyziologie chemie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- přehledy MeSH
