title: Defensin from the ornate sheep tick Dermacentor marginatus and its effect on Lyme borreliosis spirochetes.
abstract: Expression of the previously reported defensin of the tick Dermacentor marginatus (defDM) was analysed in different organs by RT-PCR. mRNA of the defDM gene was detected in the hemolymph, midgut and salivary glands. Moreover defDM was isolated from the tick hemolymph using RP-HPLC and its sequence was determined by mass spectrometry and Edman degradation. Synthetic peptide was used for determining biological activities. The results showed an anti-Gram-positive bacterial role for the defensin. As D. marginatus ticks appear not to be vectors of the Lyme disease agent of the complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, we tested the influence of defDM on Borrelia afzelii. There is a very clear borrelicidal activity of the defensin, which is concentration dependent and suggests a possible role in the clearing of Borrelia ingested by D. marginatus ticks.
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: chrudimskat@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tereza
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chrudimská
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Václav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Čeřovský
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiřina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slaninová
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ryan O M
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Rego
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Libor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grubhoffer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000187:drug effects*; D023082:Defensins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D023082:Defensins
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Borrelia afzelii; Defensin; Dermacentor marginatus; Peptide synthesis; Tick