RNA-seq of Amblyomma americanum salivary glands
The application of transcriptomics has facilitated the identification of a large set of tick salivary molecules that influence 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, thereby advancing the study of disease vectors that, unfortunately, lack reference genomes. Processes such as assembling and annotating identified transcripts, characterizing 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 feeding biology. In this study, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the salivary gland composition of the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum, using next-generation sequencing methods. This tick species is abundant in the southern U.S. from Texas and Missouri to the Atlantic Coast and ranges northward into Maine. Southward, its distribution extends into northern Mexico. Notably, this tick species transmits Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii (which cause human ehrlichiosis), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), Heartland virus (Heartland virus disease), Bourbon virus (Bourbon virus disease), and the putative agent causing the Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI).