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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Tick Immune System: What Is Known, the Interconnections, the Gaps, and the Challenges

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Author(s):
Fogaca, Andrea C. [1] ; Sousa, Gessica [1] ; Pavanelo, Daniel B. [1] ; Esteves, Eliane [1] ; Martins, Larissa A. [2, 3] ; Urbanova, Veronika [2] ; Kopacek, Petr [2] ; Daffre, Sirlei [1]
Total Authors: 8
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Parasitol, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Czech Acad Sci, Ctr Biol, Inst Parasitol, Ceske Budejovice - Czech Republic
[3] Natl Inst Allergy & Infect Dis, Tick Pathogen Transmiss Unit, Bacteriol Lab, Hamilton, MT - USA
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Review article
Source: FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY; v. 12, MAR 2 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 9
Abstract

Ticks are ectoparasitic arthropods that necessarily feed on the blood of their vertebrate hosts. The success of blood acquisition depends on the pharmacological properties of tick saliva, which is injected into the host during tick feeding. Saliva is also used as a vehicle by several types of pathogens to be transmitted to the host, making ticks versatile vectors of several diseases for humans and other animals. When a tick feeds on an infected host, the pathogen reaches the gut of the tick and must migrate to its salivary glands via hemolymph to be successfully transmitted to a subsequent host during the next stage of feeding. In addition, some pathogens can colonize the ovaries of the tick and be transovarially transmitted to progeny. The tick immune system, as well as the immune system of other invertebrates, is more rudimentary than the immune system of vertebrates, presenting only innate immune responses. Although simpler, the large number of tick species evidences the efficiency of their immune system. The factors of their immune system act in each tick organ that interacts with pathogens; therefore, these factors are potential targets for the development of new strategies for the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases. The objective of this review is to present the prevailing knowledge on the tick immune system and to discuss the challenges of studying tick immunity, especially regarding the gaps and interconnections. To this end, we use a comparative approach of the tick immune system with the immune system of other invertebrates, focusing on various components of humoral and cellular immunity, such as signaling pathways, antimicrobial peptides, redox metabolism, complement-like molecules and regulated cell death. In addition, the role of tick microbiota in vector competence is also discussed. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/26450-2 - Molecular characterization of the interactions among ticks, rickettsiae and vertebrate hosts
Grantee:Sirlei Daffre
Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
FAPESP's process: 18/00652-1 - Identification of the effectors of Rickettsia rickettsii type IV secretion system
Grantee:Daniel Brisotto Pavanelo
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 19/07122-0 - Functional study of cell signaling pathways involved in the tick Amblyomma aureolatum immune response against Rickettsia rickettsii
Grantee:Gessica de Sousa
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral