2024
Bacterial reprogramming of tick metabolism impacts vector fitness and susceptibility to infection
Samaddar S, Rolandelli A, O’Neal A, Laukaitis-Yousey H, Marnin L, Singh N, Wang X, Butler L, Rangghran P, Kitsou C, Cabrera Paz F, Valencia L, R. Ferraz C, Munderloh U, Khoo B, Cull B, Rosche K, Shaw D, Oliver J, Narasimhan S, Fikrig E, Pal U, Fiskum G, Polster B, Pedra J. Bacterial reprogramming of tick metabolism impacts vector fitness and susceptibility to infection. Nature Microbiology 2024, 9: 2278-2291. PMID: 38997520, DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01756-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMetabolic reprogrammingInfection of tick cellsInvestigate metabolic reprogrammingTick cellsLyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferiSusceptibility to infectionArthropod-borne pathogensMetabolomics approachRickettsia buchneriHuman pathogensMetabolite allocationDiminished survivalBacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilumSpirochete Borrelia burgdorferiAcid metabolismA. phagocytophilum infectionInterspecies relationshipsElevated levelsInfectionFeeding impairmentHuman granulocytic anaplasmosisMetabolic responseArthropod vectorsI. scapularisPathogens
2022
Correction: The Lyme disease agent co-opts adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling in its arthropod vector
Tang X, Cao Y, Arora G, Hwang J, Sajid A, Brown CL, Mehta S, Marín-López A, Chuang YM, Wu MJ, Ma H, Pal U, Narasimhan S, Fikrig E. Correction: The Lyme disease agent co-opts adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling in its arthropod vector. ELife 2022, 11: e77794. PMID: 35179491, PMCID: PMC8856650, DOI: 10.7554/elife.77794.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchReceptor-mediated signalingArthropod vectors
2021
The Lyme Disease agent co-opts adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling in its arthropod vector
Tang X, Cao Y, Arora G, Hwang J, Sajid A, Brown CL, Mehta S, Marín-López A, Chuang YM, Wu MJ, Ma H, Pal U, Narasimhan S, Fikrig E. The Lyme Disease agent co-opts adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling in its arthropod vector. ELife 2021, 10: e72568. PMID: 34783654, PMCID: PMC8639152, DOI: 10.7554/elife.72568.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsReceptor-mediated signalingAdiponectin receptorsAdiponectinLyme disease agentLyme disease spirochetePhospholipid metabolismPhosphatidylserine synthase ITick gutReceptor-like proteinMammalian homeostasisArthropod vectorsDisease agentsRNAi assaysRNA interferenceAlternative pathwaySynthase IPathwayMetabolic pathwaysTicksInfectionCytochrome b Drug Resistance Mutation Decreases Babesia Fitness in the Tick Stages But Not the Mammalian Erythrocytic Cycle
Chiu JE, Renard I, George S, Pal A, Alday PH, Narasimhan S, Riscoe MK, Doggett JS, Mamoun C. Cytochrome b Drug Resistance Mutation Decreases Babesia Fitness in the Tick Stages But Not the Mammalian Erythrocytic Cycle. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2021, 225: 135-145. PMID: 34139755, PMCID: PMC8730496, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab321.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMitochondrial cytochrome bParasite life cycleWild-type alleleTick vectorParasite fitnessCytochrome bMutant parasitesMutant allelesErythrocytic cycleArthropod vectorsNymphal stagesBabesia parasitesMutationsLife cycleFitnessTick stagesResistance mutationsMalaria-like illnessB. microtiAllelesDrug resistance mutationsParasitesHuman babesiosisTicksHost
2017
Chapter 14 Translation of Saliva Proteins Into Tools to Prevent Vector-Borne Disease Transmission
Narasimhan S, Schleicher T, Fikrig E. Chapter 14 Translation of Saliva Proteins Into Tools to Prevent Vector-Borne Disease Transmission. 2017, 249-300. DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-805360-7.00014-9.ChaptersPathogen transmissionArthropod vectorsVector-pathogen interactionsBlood mealVector salivaVector-Borne Disease TransmissionTransmit pathogensMolecular understandingHematophagous arthropodsHost immune responseMicrobesArthropodsImmune responseSalivary proteinsPathogensHostArthropod salivaMicroorganism transmission
2014
Gut Microbiota of the Tick Vector Ixodes scapularis Modulate Colonization of the Lyme Disease Spirochete
Narasimhan S, Rajeevan N, Liu L, Zhao YO, Heisig J, Pan J, Eppler-Epstein R, DePonte K, Fish D, Fikrig E. Gut Microbiota of the Tick Vector Ixodes scapularis Modulate Colonization of the Lyme Disease Spirochete. Cell Host & Microbe 2014, 15: 58-71. PMID: 24439898, PMCID: PMC3905459, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2013.12.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPeritrophic matrixTranscription factor signal transducerPathogen colonizationLyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferiActivator of transcriptionGut microbiotaArthropod gutsSignal transducerLyme disease spirocheteFunctional linkArthropod vectorsMajor vectorKey glycoproteinsHuman pathogensSpirochete Borrelia burgdorferiGut epitheliumIxodes scapularis ticksColonizationGut epithelial barrierMicrobiotaExpressionGut lumenScapularis ticksBorrelia burgdorferiEpithelial barrier