Caspase-1 participates in apoptosis of salivary glands in Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ticks are among the most harmful vectors worldwide. Their salivary glands play essential roles in blood-feeding and pathogen transmission and undergo apoptosis after feeding. Although it was previously reported that salivary degeneration in ixodid ticks is in response to hormonal stimulation, questions still exist with the underlying mechanisms of salivary gland apoptosis.

Methods

Salivary glands of Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides were collected from 1 to 7 days after attachment to the host. TUNEL and Annexin V assays were used to check apoptosis during this time. To confirm the role of caspase-1, RNA interference was used to silence its expression, and the dynamic changes of associated cysteine proteases were also shown by quantitative real time PCR and western bl

SUBMITTER: Yu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5422879 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature