Physiology of ticks and tick-host interaction

对蜱虫的研究很大程度上是由于其在全球医学兽医领域的重要性。所有蜱传疾病均通过唾液分泌物传播。由于干扰唾液分泌会完全破坏蜱虫的生命周期和疾病传播，因此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：我们将探讨激素、蜕皮激素导致唾液腺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，调节蜱卵黄的合成。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。我们将尝试识别蜱中的这种“卵黄摄取因子”。 C) Voraxin：一种刺激女性充血的雄性性腺蛋白：我们将进一步探索 Voraxin（蜱充血因子蛋白）作为抗蜱疫苗成分的潜力。 D) 唾液分泌的药理学：麦角生物碱是一类药物，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。

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.