Cellular signaling pathways involved in the immune response of cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus

• Grant number: 13/25213-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: March 25, 2014
• End date: December 18, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Entomology and Malacology of Parasites and Vectors
• Principal Investigator: Sirlei Daffre
• Grantee: Janaína Capelli Peixoto
• Supervisor: Massaro Wilson Ueti
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Washington State University (WSU), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/23549-2 - Signaling pathways involved in the immune response of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus, BP.DR

Abstract

Ticks are arachnids, obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites, and vectors of several species of protozoa, bacteria, and viruses that cause important diseases to vertebrates worldwide. In Brazil, the main ectoparasite affecting livestock is Rhipicephalus microplus, which is vector for the intracellular bacteria Anaplasma marginale, the etiological agent of bovine anaplasmosis. Recent advancements in molecular techniques, such as gene silencing, have greatly contributed to unravel the complexity of the vector-pathogen interface. However, only a few studies have described the factors that regulate the infection of A. marginale in R. microplus, especially when considering factors related with the immune defense of the vector. In insects, the recognition of invading microorganisms can activate different signaling pathways associated with the immune response: TOLL, IMD, JNK, and JAK/STAT, all of which induce the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and other molecules involved in pathogen control. Moreover, data on the activation of the immune system in arachnids is still scarce compared to those of insects. In this context, we propose to investigate which signaling pathways in the tick R. microplus are related to the control of bacterial infection with A. marginale. We also propose to correlate these pathways with the expression of effector genes and to evaluate the effects of the AMPs defensin, ixodidin and microplusin on the control of bacterial infection. This study, which is unprecedented in arachnids, will help elucidate the complexity of the immune system of ticks and will provide not only valuable tools to understand the vector-pathogen interface but also important data that can serve as the foundation for other studies reporting novel strategies for the control of vectors and anaplasmosis. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ROSA, RAFAEL D.; CAPELLI-PEIXOTO, JANAINA; MESQUITA, RAFAEL D.; KALIL, SANDRA P.; POHL, PAULA C.; BRAZ, GLORIA R.; FOGACA, ANDREA C.; DAFFRE, SIRLEI. Exploring the immune signalling pathway-related genes of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus: From molecular characterization to transcriptional profile upon microbial challenge. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY, v. 59, p. 1-14, JUN 2016. (11/23549-2, 13/26450-2, 11/22124-8, 13/25213-7)

CAPELLI-PEIXOTO, J.; CARVALHO, DANIELLE D.; JOHNSON, WENDELL C.; SCOLES, GLEN A.; FOGACA, ANDREA C.; DAFFRE, SIRLEI; UETI, MASSARO W.. The transcription factor Relish controls Anaplasma marginale infection in the bovine tick Rhipicephalus microplus. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY, v. 74, p. 32-39, SEP 2017. (11/23549-2, 13/25213-7)