title: Proteases of haematophagous arthropod vectors are involved in blood-feeding, yolk formation and immunity - a review.
abstract: Ticks, triatomines, mosquitoes and sand flies comprise a large number of haematophagous arthropods considered vectors of human infectious diseases. While consuming blood to obtain the nutrients necessary to carry on life functions, these insects can transmit pathogenic microorganisms to the vertebrate host. Among the molecules related to the blood-feeding habit, proteases play an essential role. In this review, we provide a panorama of proteases from arthropod vectors involved in haematophagy, in digestion, in egg development and in immunity. As these molecules act in central biological processes, proteases from haematophagous vectors of infectious diseases may influence vector competence to transmit pathogens to their prey, and thus could be valuable targets for vectorial control.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Patógeno-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Beatriz
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Patógeno-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.|Faculdade de Ceilândia, Universidade de Brasília, Centro Metropolitano, Conjunto A, Lote 01, 72220-275, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla Nunes
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Patógeno-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.|Faculdade de Ceilândia, Universidade de Brasília, Centro Metropolitano, Conjunto A, Lote 01, 72220-275, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia Nader
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Patógeno-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.|Programa Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yanna Reis
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Praça
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioquímica e Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charneau
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Patógeno-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Izabela M Dourado
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Patógeno-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil. jsantana@unb.br.
authors.forename: Jaime M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Santana
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001179:Arthropod Vectors / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000378:metabolism*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases
keywords: Digestion; Haematophagy; Immunity; Mosquitoes; Proteases; Ticks; Triatomines; Yolk formation