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Review
. 2012 Jul 16;75(13):3842-54.
doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2012.04.026. Epub 2012 Apr 27.

Tick salivary secretion as a source of antihemostatics

Jindrich Chmelar  1 , Eric Calvo, Joao H F Pedra, Ivo M B Francischetti, Michail Kotsyfakis
Affiliations
Review

Tick salivary secretion as a source of antihemostatics

Jindrich Chmelar et al. J Proteomics. .

Abstract

Ticks are mostly obligatory blood feeding ectoparasites that have an impact on human and animal health. In addition to direct damage due to feeding, some tick species serve as the vectors for the causative agents of several diseases, such as the spirochetes of the genus Borrelia causing Lyme disease, the virus of tick-borne encephalitis, various Rickettsial pathogens or even protozoan parasites like Babesia spp. Hard ticks are unique among bloodfeeders because of their prolonged feeding period that may last up to two weeks. During such a long period of blood uptake, the host develops a wide range of mechanisms to prevent blood loss. The arthropod ectoparasite, in turn, secretes saliva in the sites of bite that assists blood feeding. Indeed, tick saliva represents a rich source of proteins with potent pharmacologic action that target different mechanisms of coagulation, platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction. Tick adaptation to their vertebrate hosts led to the inclusion of a powerful protein armamentarium in their salivary secretion that has been investigated by high-throughput methods. The resulting knowledge can be exploited for the isolation of novel antihemostatic agents. Here we review the tick salivary antihemostatics and their characterized functions at the molecular and cellular levels.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A simplified workflow description of the “gene-to-function” approach in the discovery of tick salivary secreted proteins. More detailed description is in the text.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic overview of hemostatic mechanisms targeted by tick salivary protein effectors. Tick proteins are shown in red rectangles, sorted by their respective targets in host hemostasis. Roman numerals in the coagulation cascade refer to coagulation enzymes and factors. TXA2, thromboxane A2; TF, tissue factor. The acronyms for the different tick proteins are explained in the corresponding paragraphs in the text.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Modulation of histamine dynamics in the site of tick bite during the feeding course. In the early, slow feeding phase, large amount of histamine-binding proteins (HBP) from the lipocalin superfamily are secreted into the site of attachment. Histamine, released from tissue resident mast cells, is scavenged and neutralized by tick HBPs, which inhibit vasodilatation and vascular permeability as well as leukocyte recruitment and edema formation. During the late, rapid feeding phase of a tick, the tick needs more blood influx to the feeding cavity, so it secretes histamine releasing factor (tHRP), which enhances vasodilatation and the tick has better access to blood. The edema formation might be prevented by other salivary effectors that may be present simultaneously at the feeding site.
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