Project description:Babesia parasites transition between a mammalian host, where they cause babesiosis, and the tick vector that transmits them. This transition provides an environmental signal resulting in altered gene expression allowing the completion of the parasite’s life cycle. A comparison of the different life stages that occur within mammalian and tick hosts can provide insight into the adaptation of Babesia to these different environments. In this study, we used RNA-Seq to compare gene expression between Babesia bovis blood stages and tick derived kinetes.
Project description:To understand Babesia gene regulation during tick and mammalian host infection, we performed high throughput RNA-sequencing using samples collected from calves and Rhipicephalus microplus ticks infected with Babesia bigemina. We evaluated gene expression differences between B. bigemina kinetes and blood-stage parasites
Project description:This experiment was undertaken to document changes in gene expression in the skin of tick-resistant Brahman (Bos indicus) and tick-susceptible Holstein-Friesian (Bos taurus) cattle prior to, and following, infestation with the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus Experiment Overall Design: RNA was extracted from skin samples of tick-naïve cattle (animals with no previous R.microplus exposure) and tick-infested cattle after a period of successive, heavy infestations with R. microplus. Skin samples taken from tick-infested animals were taken at sites where tick larvae (approximately 24 h old) were attached to the skin sample. Skin samples were of 8 mm diameter and full skin thickness (approximately 10 mm). RNA samples from 12 animals (3 tick-naive Holstein-Friesian, 3 tick-naive Brahman, 3 tick-infested Holstein-Friesian and 3 tick-infested Brahman) were processed and hybridised to individual slides.
Project description:This experiment was undertaken to document changes in gene expression in the skin of tick-resistant Brahman (Bos indicus) and tick-susceptible Holstein-Friesian (Bos taurus) cattle prior to, and following, infestation with the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus Keywords: Disease state analysis
Project description:This project aimed to discover the protein-based biomarkers for tick resistance in cattle using cattle serum samples. The cattle were phenotyped into two groups, tick-resistant and susceptible after an artificial tick challenge. Mean tick scores were used to categorise cattle. The SWATH analysis was sued to measure the relative abundance of proteins in skin samples of the two groups at different time points.
Project description:This project aimed to discover the protein-based biomarkers for tick resistance in cattle using cattle skin samples. The cattle were phenotyped into two groups, tick-resistant and susceptible after artificial tick challenge. Mean tick scores were used to categorise cattle. The SWATH analysis was sued to measure the relative abundance of proteins in skin samples of the two groups at different time points.
Project description:This trial was undertaken to examine the perhipheral cellular and antibody response of cattle following infestation with the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus. The information from the Affymetrix gene expression data is used to complement other measurements of immune function such as cellular subset composition and antibody response in cattle of high (Brahman) and low (Holstein-Friesian) resistance to the cattle tick. Keywords: Disease state analysis
Project description:Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are the most common illnesses transmitted by ticks, and the annual number of reported TBD cases continues to increase. The Asian longhorned tick, a vector associated with at least 30 human pathogens, is native to eastern Asia and recently reached the USA as an emerging disease threat. Newly identified tick-transmitted pathogens continue to be reported, raising concerns about how TBDs occur. Interestingly, tick can harbor pathogens without being affected themselves. For viral infections, ticks have their own immune systems that protect them from infection. Meanwhile, tick-borne viruses have evolved to avoid these defenses as they establish themselves within the vector. Here, we show in detail that infecting longhorned ticks with distinct arthropod-borne RNA viruses through two approaches natural blood feeding and injection, all induce the production of vsiRNAs. Dicer2-like homolog plays a role in regulating antiviral RNAi responses as knocking down of this gene enhanced viral replication. Furthermore, we demonstrate that tick antiviral RNAi responses are inhibited through expression heterologous VSR proteins in recombinant SINV. We identify both the virus and tick factors are critical components to understanding TBDs. Importantly, our study introduces a novel, in vivo virus-vector-mouse model system for exploring TBDs in the future.
