Major evolutionary transitions were always accompanied by genetic remodelling of phenotypic traits. For example, the vertebrate transition from water to land was accompanied by rapid evolution of olfactory receptors and by the expansion of genes encoding lipocalins, which - due to their transporting functions - represent an important interface between the external and internal organic world of an individual and also within an individual. Similarly, some lipocalin genes were lost along other genes when this transition went in the opposite direction leading, for example, to cetaceans. In terrestrial vertebrates, lipocalins are involved in the transport of lipophilic substances, chemical signalling, odour reception, antimicrobial defence and background odour clearance during ventilation. Many ancestral lipocalins have clear physiological functions across the vertebrate taxa while many other have - due to pleiotropic effects of their genes - multiple or complementary functions within the body homeostasis and development. The aim of this review is to deconstruct the physiological functions of lipocalins in light of current OMICs techniques. We concentrated on major findings in the house mouse in comparison to other model taxa (e.g., voles, humans, and birds) in which all or most coding genes within their genomes were repeatedly sequenced and their annotations are sufficiently informative.

• Klíčová slova
• LCN, lipocalins, major urinary protein, microbiota, mouse, odorant, odorant-binding protein, retinol-binding protein,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Ticks are a growing concern to human and animal health worldwide and they are leading vectors of arthropod-borne pathogens in the United States. Ticks are pool blood feeders that can attach to the host skin for days to weeks using their saliva to counteract the host defenses. Tick saliva, as in other hematophagous arthropods, contains pharmacological and immunological active compounds, which modulate local and systemic immune responses and induce antibody production. In the present study, we explore differences in the salivary gland extract (SGE) protein content of Amblyomma americanum ticks raised in a laboratory colony (CT) vs. those collected in the field (FT). First, we measured the IgG antibody levels against SGE in healthy volunteers residing in Kansas. ELISA test showed higher IgG antibody levels when using the SGE from CT as antigen. Interestingly, antibody levels against both, CT-SGE and FT-SGE, were high in the warm months (May-June) and decreased in the cold months (September-November). Immunoblot testing revealed a set of different immunogenic bands for each group of ticks and mass spectrometry data revealed differences in at 19 proteins specifically identified in the CT-SGE group and 20 from the FT-SGE group. Our results suggest that differences in the salivary proteins between CT-SGE and FT-SGE may explain the differential immune responses observed in this study.

• Klíčová slova
• Amblyomma americanum, antibodies, human immune response, lone star tick, salivary proteins, seasonal response,
• MeSH
• antigeny imunologie   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• cytokiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny imunologie   MeSH
• infestace klíšťaty genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita imunologie   MeSH
• klíšťata imunologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• slinné proteiny a peptidy imunologie   MeSH
• slinné žlázy imunologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigeny MeSH
• cytokiny MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny MeSH
• slinné proteiny a peptidy MeSH

Evolution has provided ticks with an arsenal of bioactive saliva molecules that counteract host defense mechanisms. This salivary pharmacopoeia enables blood-feeding while enabling pathogen transmission. High-throughput sequencing of tick salivary glands has thus become a major focus, revealing large expansion within protein encoding gene families. Among these are lipocalins, ubiquitous barrel-shaped proteins that sequester small, typically hydrophobic molecules. This study was initiated by mining the Ixodes ricinus salivary gland transcriptome for specific, uncharacterized lipocalins: three were identified. Differential expression of these I. ricinus lipocalins during feeding at distinct developmental stages and in response to Borrelia afzelii infection suggests a role in transmission of this Lyme disease spirochete. A phylogenetic analysis using 803 sequences places the three I. ricinus lipocalins with tick lipocalins that sequester monoamines, leukotrienes and fatty acids. Both structural analysis and biophysical simulations generated robust predictions showing these I. ricinus lipocalins have the potential to bind monoamines similar to other tick species previously reported. The multidisciplinary approach employed in this study characterized unique lipocalins that play a role in tick blood-feeding and transmission of the most important tick-borne pathogen in North America and Eurasia.

• MeSH
• analýza rozptylu MeSH
• Borrelia burgdorferi komplex fyziologie   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• infekce přenášené vektorem MeSH
• klíště růst a vývoj   metabolismus   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• ligandy MeSH
• lipokaliny chemie   klasifikace   metabolismus   MeSH
• lymeská nemoc mikrobiologie   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
• sliny metabolismus   MeSH
• stadia vývoje MeSH
• terciární struktura proteinů MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ligandy MeSH
• lipokaliny MeSH

BACKGROUND: Chemical communication in mammals involves globular lipocalins that protect and transport pheromones during their passage out of the body. Efficient communication via this protein - pheromone complex is essential for triggering multiple responses including aggression, mate choice, copulatory behaviour, and onset and synchronization of oestrus. The roles of lipocalins in communication were studied in many organisms and especially in mice (i.e. Mus musculus domesticus) which excrete Major Urinary Proteins (Mup) in excessive amounts in saliva and urine. Other mammals, however, often lack the genes for Mups or their expression is very low. Therefore, we aimed at characterization of candidate lipocalins in Myodes glareolus which are potentially linked to chemical communication. One of them is Aphrodisin which is a unique lipocalin that was previously described from hamster vaginal discharge and is known to carry pheromones stimulating copulatory behaviour in males. RESULTS: Here we show that Aphrodisin-like proteins exist in other species, belong to a group of Odorant Binding Proteins (Obp), and contrary to the expression of Aphrodisin only in hamster genital tract and parotid glands of females, we have detected these transcripts in both sexes of M. glareolus with the expression confirmed in various tissues including prostate, prepucial and salivary glands, liver and uterus. On the level of mRNA, we have detected three different gene variants. To assess their relevance for chemical communication we investigated the occurrence of particular proteins in saliva, urine and vaginal discharge. On the protein level we confirmed the presence of Obp2 and Obp3 in both saliva and urine. Appropriate bands in the range of 17-20 kDa from vaginal discharge were, however, beyond the MS detection limits. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that three novel Obps (Obp1, Obp2, and Obp3) are predominant lipocalins in Myodes urine and saliva. On the protein level we have detected further variants and thus we assume that similarly as Major Urinary Proteins in mice, these proteins may be important in chemical communication in this Cricetid rodent.

• MeSH
• 2D gelová elektroforéza MeSH
• Arvicolinae genetika   MeSH
• feromony genetika   MeSH
• lipokaliny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• moč chemie   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• proteiny genetika   MeSH
• receptory pachové genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• sekvenční seřazení MeSH
• sliny chemie   MeSH
• spektrometrie hmotnostní - ionizace laserem za účasti matrice MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie MeSH
• vagina chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aphrodisin protein, Mesocricetus auratus MeSH Prohlížeč
• feromony MeSH
• lipokaliny MeSH
• odorant-binding protein MeSH Prohlížeč
• proteiny MeSH
• receptory pachové MeSH