title: Orcokinin-like immunoreactivity in central neurons innervating the salivary glands and hindgut of ixodid ticks.
abstract: Orcokinins are conserved neuropeptides within the Arthropoda but their cellular distribution and functions in ticks are unknown. We use an antibody against the highly conserved N-terminal (NFDEIDR) of mature orcokinin peptides to examine their distribution in six ixodid species: Amblyomma variegatum, Dermacentor reticulatus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Numerous immunoreactive neurons (~100) were detected in various regions of the synganglion (central nervous system) in all examined tick species. Immunoreactive projections of two prominent groups of efferent neurons in the post-oesophageal region were examined in detail: (1) neurons innervating the salivary glands; (2) neurons innervating the hindgut. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF), we detected orcokinin peaks in extracts of the synganglia and hindguts but not in the salivary glands of I. scapularis females. Our data provide further evidence of the presence of orcokinin in ixodid ticks and establish a morphological basis for functional studies of identified peptidergic neuronal networks.
authors: Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors: Roller
authors: R
authors: Ladislav
authors: Šimo
authors: Š
authors: Ladislav
authors: Mizoguchi
authors: M
authors: Akira
authors: Slovák
authors: S
authors: Mirko
authors: Park
authors: P
authors: Yoonseong
authors: Žitňan
authors: Ž
authors: Dušan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C079067:orcokinin