Developmental stage- and organ-specific expression profiles of asparaginyl endopeptidases/legumains in the ixodid tick Haemaphysalis longicornis.
We previously identified two cDNAs from the midgut of adult Haemaphysalis longicornis that encode asparaginyl endopeptidases/legumains, HlLgm and HlLgm2. Functionally, both recombinant HlLgm and HlLgm2 efficiently digested blood proteins, haemoglobin and bovine serum albumin. Here, we investigated the expression profiles of legumain genes in the developmental stages in the life cycle of H. longicornis and in different tissues of adult ticks. Both HlLgm and HlLgm2 were well expressed in larvae, nymphs and adults. Legumain transcripts were expressed specifically in the midgut and were localized in some digestive vacuoles of gut epithelial cells. Furthermore, expression of either transcript was up-regulated by blood feeding in larvae and nymphs, suggesting the important roles of legumains in blood feeding and blood-meal digestion in ticks.
Alim
M Abdul
MA
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural and Food Research Organization, Ibaraki, Japan.
Tsuji
Naotoshi
N
Miyoshi
Takeharu
T
Islam
M Khyrul
MK
Hatta
Takeshi
T
Yamaji
Kayoko
K
Fujisaki
Kozo
K
D000818:Animals; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099240:Asparaginyl Endopeptidase
D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; D000099240:Asparaginyl Endopeptidase