title: Rhipicephalus appendiculatus: characterization of a testis-associated protein.
abstract: A novel gene coding for Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Male-specific Protein (RAMP) was identified in a cDNA library constructed from the testis/vas deferens of R. appendiculatus ticks. This gene encodes a secreted protein exclusively expressed in the testis/vas deferens. The putative RAMP amino acid sequence contains a signal peptide and has 29% amino acid identity with male-specific Is5 gene of Ixodes scapularis. Gene expression studies revealed that RAMP mRNA was up-regulated in male ticks during blood feeding. RAMP was detected not only in the testis/vas deferens of males but also in postcoitum female ticks based on Western blotting, indicating that this protein is transferred to the female tick during copulation. Virgin female ticks, microinjected with recombinant RAMP, had significantly prolonged attachment duration during feeding, but there was no effect on fed weight. These results suggest that RAMP is a male-specific molecule in the spermatophore, and is related to female attachment behavior in R. appendiculatus ticks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Saiki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konnai
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Misao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onuma
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015723:Gene Library; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D048494:Rhipicephalus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry; D014611:Vaccination / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins