title: The majority of sialylated glycoproteins in adult Ixodes ricinus ticks originate in the host, not the tick.
abstract: The presence of sialylated structures in tick organs was observed previously using lectin staining. Recently, we demonstrated the presence of sialylated N-glycans using mass spectrometry in tick salivary glands and the gut. However, we proposed a host (blood) origin for these glycans and mapped the transport of sialylated molecules from the gut to the salivary glands. In this report, we performed quantitation of whole sialic acid and of metabolically incorporated sialic acid (N-azido neuraminic acid) in Ixodes ricinus tick samples. We show that the majority of sialylated molecules in the adult tick originate in the host (blood) and are not synthesized by the tick. Similar results were observed for tick cell cultures. The almost complete absence of tick sialylated molecules and the specific transport and localization of host structures into the tick salivary glands and the saliva raises many questions on the role of these molecules in the physiology and, specifically, the blood-feeding of ticks.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the ASCR, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: sterbj02@prf.jcu.cz.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sterba
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the ASCR, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: vancova@paru.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vancova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the ASCR, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: dupejj00@prf.jcu.cz.
authors.forename: Jarmila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sterbova
authors.affiliation: The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Surrey GU24 0NF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: lesley.sakyi@pirbright.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bell-Sakyi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the ASCR, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: liborex@prf.jcu.cz.
authors.forename: Libor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grubhoffer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D018884:Ixodes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid
keywords: Click chemistry; Ixodes ricinus; Sialic acid; Thiobarbituric acid assay; Tick; Tick cell line