RNA-seq of Dermacentor variabilis salivary glands
The applications of transcriptomics have facilitated the identification of a large set of tick salivary molecules that impact tick feeding and play a crucial role in the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Deep sequencing methodologies have been instrumental in acquiring this new information, consequently facilitating the study of the biology of disease vectors that unfortunately lack reference genomes. Processes such as assembling and annotating identified transcripts, describing the transcriptomes and proteomes from various tick species, and depositing novel tick-derived sequences in the NCBI database have significantly contributed to our understanding of tick physiology and tick feeding biology.In this study, we provide a more comprehensive analysis of the salivary gland composition of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, using new-generation sequencing methods. This tick species is widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains and also occurs in limited areas on the Pacific Coast. Notably, this tick species transmits Francisella tularensis and Rickettsia rickettsii, pathogens causing tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, respectively.