Identification and characterization of proteins that form the inner core Ixodes scapularis tick attachment cement layer.

ABSTRACT: Ixodes scapularis long-term blood feeding behavior is facilitated by a tick secreted bio adhesive (tick cement) that attaches tick mouthparts to skin tissue and prevents the host from dislodging the attached tick. Understanding tick cement formation is highly sought after as its disruption will prevent tick feeding. This study describes proteins that form the inner core layer of I. scapularis tick cement as disrupting these proteins will likely stop formation of the outer cortical layer. The inner core cement layer completes formation by 24 h of tick attachment. Thus, we used laser-capture microdissection to isolate cement from cryosections of 6 h and 24 h tick attachment sites and to distinguish between early and late inner core cement proteins. LC-MS/MS analysis identified 138 tick cemen

SUBMITTER: Mulenga A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9734129 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature