2021
Tick host immunity: vector immunomodulation and acquired tick resistance
Kitsou C, Fikrig E, Pal U. Tick host immunity: vector immunomodulation and acquired tick resistance. Trends In Immunology 2021, 42: 554-574. PMID: 34074602, PMCID: PMC10089699, DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2021.05.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTick-host associationsTick resistanceImmune evasion activitiesNovel preventive strategiesImmunological eventsImmunomodulatory rolePreventive strategiesTick salivaIncidental hostsNew seedsPathogen transmissionBlood mealNatural hostVector competenceNatural persistenceCritical appraisalTicksAssociation
2020
Ixodes scapularis saliva components that elicit responses associated with acquired tick-resistance
Narasimhan S, Kurokawa C, Diktas H, Strank NO, Černý J, Murfin K, Cao Y, Lynn G, Trentleman J, Wu MJ, DePonte K, Kantor F, Anguita J, Hovius J, Fikrig E. Ixodes scapularis saliva components that elicit responses associated with acquired tick-resistance. Ticks And Tick-borne Diseases 2020, 11: 101369. PMID: 31924502, PMCID: PMC7382422, DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101369.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTick-borne diseasesSalivary antigensAnti-tick vaccine candidatesIxodes scapularisTick salivary antigensTransmission of pathogensTick infestationTick rejectionTick proteinsViable vaccine targetsTick feedingPathogen transmissionRise worldTicksHost immune responseUrgent public health needScapularisMammalian hostsPathogensPublic health needsVaccine candidatesImmune responseSalivary glycoproteinsFeedingVaccine targeting
2019
Protective Immunity and New Vaccines for Lyme Disease
Gomes-Solecki M, Arnaboldi PM, Backenson PB, Benach JL, Cooper CL, Dattwyler RJ, Diuk-Wasser M, Fikrig E, Hovius JW, Laegreid W, Lundberg U, Marconi RT, Marques AR, Molloy P, Narasimhan S, Pal U, Pedra JHF, Plotkin S, Rock DL, Rosa P, Telford SR, Tsao J, Yang XF, Schutzer SE. Protective Immunity and New Vaccines for Lyme Disease. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2019, 70: 1768-1773. PMID: 31620776, PMCID: PMC7155782, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz872.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLyme diseaseCommon tick-borne illnessTick-borne illnessB. burgdorferi infectionBorrelia burgdorferi sensu latoMechanism of actionDirect vaccinationB. burgdorferi proteinsProtective immunityBurgdorferi sensu latoVaccination strategiesBurgdorferi infectionFirst vaccineImmune pathwaysNew vaccinesNumber of casesTick immunityDiseaseVaccineB. burgdorferiHuman hostTick proteinsInfectionImmunityPathogen transmission
2018
Host-specific expression of Ixodes scapularis salivary genes
Narasimhan S, Booth CJ, DePonte K, Wu MJ, Liang X, Mohanty S, Kantor F, Fikrig E. Host-specific expression of Ixodes scapularis salivary genes. Ticks And Tick-borne Diseases 2018, 10: 386-397. PMID: 30545615, DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.12.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVector-host interactionsTick infestationI. scapularisReservoir hostsNon-reservoir hostsHost-specific expressionRodent reservoir hostsInfected ticksPathogen transmissionZoonotic cycleSalivary genesIxodes scapularisTicksNatural hostScapularisInfestationTick biteLyme diseaseBorrelia burgdorferiLarval stagesPathogensHostPeromyscus leucopusStrong immune responseSalivary transcriptomeVisualization of Microbiota in Tick Guts by Whole-mount In Situ Hybridization.
Moss CE, Robson A, Fikrig E, Narasimhan S. Visualization of Microbiota in Tick Guts by Whole-mount In Situ Hybridization. Journal Of Visualized Experiments 2018 PMID: 29912204, PMCID: PMC6101453, DOI: 10.3791/57758.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTick gutComplex microbial communitiesSitu hybridizationSequencing-based methodsTick genesVector microbiotaMicrobial communitiesParticular bacterial speciesRNA transcriptsResident microorganismsTarget RNAInterspecies interactionsBacterial speciesArthropod vectorsResident bacteriaHuman pathogensMicrobiota interactionsPathogen transmissionTick transmissionIxodes scapularis ticksVector-borne diseasesTick feedingPathogensIntact tissueMicrobiota
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
2015
Tick microbiome: the force within
Narasimhan S, Fikrig E. Tick microbiome: the force within. Trends In Parasitology 2015, 31: 315-323. PMID: 25936226, PMCID: PMC4492851, DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.03.010.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
2013
Characterization of Ixophilin, A Thrombin Inhibitor from the Gut of Ixodes scapularis
Narasimhan S, Perez O, Mootien S, DePonte K, Koski RA, Fikrig E, Ledizet M. Characterization of Ixophilin, A Thrombin Inhibitor from the Gut of Ixodes scapularis. PLOS ONE 2013, 8: e68012. PMID: 23874485, PMCID: PMC3706618, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTick gutBlood mealVertebrate hostsTick gut proteinsPathogen transmissionBorrelia burgdorferi transmissionAnticoagulation strategiesThrombin inhibitory activityHemostatic mechanismThrombin inhibitorsMammalian coagulationIxodes scapularisMammalian hostsTick salivaLyme diseaseKey enzymeGut proteinsBorrelia burgdorferiTick feedingHost bloodHours of feedingGutFunctional suiteTick proteinsHuman pathogensThe lipoprotein La7 contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi persistence in ticks and their transmission to naïve hosts
Yang X, Hegde S, Shroder DY, Smith AA, Promnares K, Neelakanta G, Anderson JF, Fikrig E, Pal U. The lipoprotein La7 contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi persistence in ticks and their transmission to naïve hosts. Microbes And Infection 2013, 15: 729-737. PMID: 23774694, PMCID: PMC3769513, DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.06.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsComplex enzootic cycleInner membrane proteinB. burgdorferi persistenceProtein-protein interactionsOuter membrane lipoproteinNaïve hostsSpirochete life cycleCo-immunoprecipitation studiesMammalian infectivityMembrane proteinsRedundant rolesMolecular detailsMammalian hostsMembrane lipoproteinGene expressionWild typeInfection cycleLiquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysisPathogen survivalBiological significanceHost transmissionEnzootic cyclePathogen transmissionSpectrometry analysisLA7
2004
TROSPA, an Ixodes scapularis Receptor for Borrelia burgdorferi
Pal U, Li X, Wang T, Montgomery RR, Ramamoorthi N, deSilva AM, Bao F, Yang X, Pypaert M, Pradhan D, Kantor FS, Telford S, Anderson JF, Fikrig E. TROSPA, an Ixodes scapularis Receptor for Borrelia burgdorferi. Cell 2004, 119: 457-468. PMID: 15537536, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2004.10.027.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAmino Acid SequenceAnimalsAntibodies, BacterialAntigens, SurfaceBacterial Outer Membrane ProteinsBacterial VaccinesBase SequenceBorrelia burgdorferiCloning, MolecularGene Expression RegulationHost-Parasite InteractionsIntestinesIxodesLipoproteinsMiceMice, Inbred C3HMolecular Sequence DataReceptors, Cell SurfaceRecombinant ProteinsConceptsLyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferiSurvival of spirochetesTick receptorMammalian hostsRNA interferenceEfficient colonizationTROSPAOuter surface protein ABorrelia burgdorferiPathogen adherencePathogen transmissionProtein AB. burgdorferi outer surface protein AMRNA levelsIxodes scapularisB. burgdorferiColonizationSurface protein AReceptorsArthropodsBurgdorferiMammalsRepressionSpirochetesTicks