title: Expression of heat shock proteins and subolesin affects stress responses, Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection and questing behaviour in the tick, Ixodes scapularis.
abstract: We characterized the effects of subolesin and heat shock protein (HSP) expression on Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) stress responses to heat shock and feeding, questing behaviour and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) infection. Ticks and cultured tick cells were analysed before and after subolesin, hsp20 and hsp70 gene knock-down by RNA interference. The results of these studies confirm that HSPs are involved in the tick cell response to heat stress and that subolesin and HSPs are both involved in the tick response to blood-feeding stress and A. phagocytophilum infection. Subolesin and hsp20 are involved in the tick protective response to A. phagocytophilum infection and hsp70 expression may be manipulated by the pathogen to increase infectivity. Importantly, these results demonstrate that subolesin, hsp20 and hsp70 expression also affect tick questing behaviour. Overall, this research demonstrates a relationship between hsp and subolesin expression and tick stress responses to heat shock and blood feeding, A. phagocytophilum infection and questing behaviour, thereby extending our understanding of the tick-host-pathogen interface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, U.S.A.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Busby
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ayllón
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kocan
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Blouin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D018884:Ixodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D034622:RNA Interference; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C550207:subolesin, tick