Physiology of ticks and tick-host interaction

蜱的生理学和蜱与宿主的相互作用

• 批准号: 6479-2006
• 负责人: Kaufman, Reuben
• 金额: $ 3.02万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2007-01-01 至 2008-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=364142
• 关键词: Physiology; ticks; tick; host; interaction

Research on ticks is motivated largely as a result of their global medical-veterinary importance. All tick-borne diseases are transmitted via the salivary secretions. Because interfering with salivation completely disrupts the tick life cycle and transmission of disease, our projects have important implications for tick control. A) Hormonal control of salivary gland degeneration and development: We shall explore the cellular mechanism whereby the hormone, ecdysone, causes the salivary glands to degenerate after engorgement. B) The endocrine control of reproduction: We have recently discovered that the hormone, ecdysone, regulates yolk synthesis in ticks. However, and most unusual for arthropods, it appears as if an additional factor is needed for egg development to be completed. We shall attempt to identify this 'yolk-uptake factor' in ticks. C) Voraxin: a male gonadal protein that stimulates female engorgment: We shall further explore the potential for voraxin, the tick engorgement factor protein, to be the component of an anti-tick vaccine. D) The pharmacology of salivary fluid secretion:  Ergot alkaloids are a family of drugs, some of which stimulate and others block salivation. We are exploring the mode of action of these drugs on the salivary glands.

对蜱虫的研究主要是因为它们在全球医学-兽医学上的重要性。所有蜱传播的疾病都是通过唾液分泌物传播的。由于干扰唾液分泌完全破坏了蜱虫的生命周期和疾病的传播，我们的项目对蜱虫控制具有重要意义。A）唾液腺退化和发育的激素控制：我们将探索激素蜕皮激素导致唾液腺在充血后退化的细胞机制。B）生殖的内分泌控制：我们最近发现激素蜕皮激素调节蜱的卵黄合成。然而，对于节肢动物来说最不寻常的是，似乎需要一个额外的因素才能完成卵的发育。我们将尝试在蜱中鉴定这种“卵黄摄取因子”。C）Voraxin：一种刺激雌性充血的雄性性腺蛋白：我们将进一步探索voraxin（蜱虫充血因子蛋白）作为抗蜱虫疫苗成分的潜力。D）唾液分泌的药理学：麦角生物碱是一种药物家族，其中一些刺激唾液分泌，另一些则阻止唾液分泌。我们正在探索这些药物对唾液腺的作用方式。