title: Anaplasma phagocytophilum Uses Common Strategies for Infection of Ticks and Vertebrate Hosts.
abstract: The tick-borne rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum develops within membrane-bound inclusions in the host cell cytoplasm. This pathogen has evolved with its tick and vertebrate hosts through dynamic processes involving genetic traits of the pathogen and hosts that collectively mediate pathogen infection, development, persistence, and survival. Herein, we challenge the evidence of tick-host-pathogen coevolution by hypothesizing that A. phagocytophilum utilizes common molecular mechanisms for infection in both vertebrate and tick cells, including remodeling of the cytoskeleton, inhibition of cell apoptosis, and manipulation of the immune response. The discovery of these common mechanisms provides evidence that a control strategy could be developed targeted at both vertebrate and tick hosts for more complete control of A. phagocytophilum and its associated diseases.
authors.affiliation: SaBio, IREC, Ronda de Toledo s/n, Ciudad Real, 13005, Spain; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA. Electronic address: jose_delafuente@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estrada-Peña
authors.affiliation: Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, 59019 Lille, France.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabezas-Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kocan
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins
keywords: Anaplasma; apoptosis; evolution; neutrophil; tick; vaccine