Insight into the dynamics of the Ixodes ricinus nymphal midgut proteome

In this study, we used a label-free quantitative approach to perform a novel dynamic proteomic analysis of the midgut of Ixodes ricinus nymphs, covering their development from unfed to pre-moult stages. We identified 1,534 I. ricinus-specific proteins with a relatively low proportion of host proteins. This proteome dataset, which was carefully examined by manual scrutiny, allowed precise annotation of proteins important for blood meal processing and their dynamic changes during nymphal ontogeny. We focused on midgut molecules related to lipid hydrolysis, storage, and transport, opening an yet unexplored avenue for studying lipid metabolism in ticks. Further dynamic profiling of the tick's multi-enzyme digestive network, protease inhibitors, enzymes involved in redox homeostasis and detoxification, antimicrobial peptides, and proteins responsible for midgut colonization by Borrelia spirochetes promises to uncover new targets for targeting tick nymphs, the most critical life stage for transmission the pathogens that cause tick-borne diseases.PMID:37832788 | DOI:10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100663

Source: Molecular and Cellular Proteomics : MCP - October 13, 2023 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tereza Kozelkov á Filip Dy čka Stephen Lu Veronika Urbanov á Helena Frantov á Daniel Sojka Radek Šíma Martin Horn Jan Perner Petr Kop áček Source Type: research