Rickettsial pathogen augments tick vesicular-associated membrane proteins for infection and survival in the vector host.

ABSTRACT: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular rickettsial pathogen that infects humans and animals. The black-legged tick Ixodes scapularis acts as a vector and transmits this bacterium to the vertebrate host. Upon entry into a host cell, A. phagocytophilum resides and multiplies in a host-derived vacuole called morulae. There is not much information available on the molecules that play an important role(s) in A. phagocytophilum entry and formation of these morulae in tick cells. In this study, we provide evidence that tick vesicular-associated membrane proteins, VAMP3 and VAMP4, play important roles in this phenomenon. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) analysis showed that both vamp3 and vamp4 transcripts are sign

SUBMITTER: Namjoshi P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11898744 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature