title: Cell death during preoviposition period in Boophilus microplus tick.
abstract: Programmed cell death (PCD) is present during the development of multicellular organisms and occurs from embryogenesis to death. In females of Boophilus microplus, the mass of several organs is reduced after the detachment from the host. In order to better characterize the cell death process that eliminates unnecessary tissues, the degeneration of salivary glands, ovaries and synganglia was investigated using DNA fragmentation in agarose gel, comet and TUNEL assays, and apoptosis activation pathway by the caspase assay. DNA fragmentation and enzymatic activity of caspase-3 were observed in salivary glands and ovaries at 48 and 72h after tick removal from the host; in synganglia these parameters were maintained at low levels upon 48h. The results obtained suggest that there is a refined control of tissue maintenance through apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, C.P. 15005, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: D R J
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Colodel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Driemeier
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Da Silva Vaz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005260:Female; D005724:Ganglia / Q000166:cytology; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000502:physiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology; D010058:Oviposition / Q000502:physiology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology