Identification of genes associated with blood feeding in the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is a blood-feeding ectoparasitic insect and particular nuisance pest of companion animals worldwide. Identification of genes that are differentially expressed in response to feeding is important for understanding flea biology and discovering targets for their control.

Methods

C. felis fleas were maintained and fed for 24 h using an artificial rearing system. The technique of suppression subtractive hybridization was employed to screen for mRNAs specifically expressed in fed fleas.

Results

We characterized nine distinct full-length flea transcripts that exhibited modulated or de novo expression during feeding. Among the predicted protein sequences were two serine proteases, a serine protease inhibitor, two mucin-like mole

SUBMITTER: Greene WK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4501088 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature