Blood Digestion by Trypsin-Like Serine Proteases in the Replete Lyme Disease Vector Tick, Ixodes scapularis.

ABSTRACT: Ixodes scapularis is the major vector of Lyme disease in the Eastern United States. Each active life stage (larva, nymph, and adult) takes a blood meal either for developing and molting to the next stage (larvae and nymphs) or for oviposition (adult females). This protein-rich blood meal is the only food taken by Ixodes ticks and therefore efficient blood digestion is critical for survival. Studies in partially engorged ticks have shown that the initial stages of digestion are carried out by cathepsin proteases within acidic digestive cells. In this study, we investigated the potential role of serine proteases in blood digestion in replete ticks. RNA interference was used for functional analysis and a trypsin-benzoyl-D, L-arginine 4-nitoanilide assay was used to measure active trypsin leve

SUBMITTER: Reyes J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7142499 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature