Changes in saliva protein profile throughout Rhipicephalus microplus blood feeding.

ABSTRACT:

Background

When feeding on a vertebrate host, ticks secrete saliva, which is a complex mixture of proteins, lipids, and other molecules. Tick saliva assists the vector in modulating host hemostasis, immunity, and tissue repair mechanisms. While helping the vector to feed, its saliva modifies the site where pathogens are inoculated and often facilitates the infection process. The objective of this study is to uncover the variation in protein composition of Rhipicephalus microplus saliva during blood feeding.

Methods

Ticks were fed on calves, and adult females were collected, weighed, and divided in nine weight groups, representing the slow and rapid feeding phases of blood feeding. Tick saliva was collected, and mass spectrometry analyses were used to identify differentially

SUBMITTER: da Silva Vaz Junior I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10821567 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature