ARS | Publication request: Screening and identification of novel cytochrome P450s in ticks

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: September 19, 2012
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Cytochrome P450s are the major phase I drug metabolizing enzymes found in most species, including those belonging to the phylum Arthropoda. Much of the work within the area of xenobiotic metabolism in this phylum has centered on mosquito species such as Anopheles gambiae due to their role as vectors of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Current research on these mosquito species has identified members of the CYP6 and CYP9 families as playing an important role in the detoxification of pesticides and also development of resistance to these pesticides. Most notably, CYP6Z1 and CYP6P3 have been shown to detoxify DDT and permethrin, respectively. In addition to mosquitoes this phylum contains many other medically and veterinary important ectoparasites many of which belong to the Acari subclass (ticks and mites). The work presented here focuses on the identification of xenobiotic metabolizing P450s from the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, an ectoparasite of cattle and a vector of disease causing agents, most notably those causing babesiosis and anaplasmosis. To date, only 3 CYP genes have been identified within this species, none of which belong to the key CYP3 clade or have been characterized functionally. The research involved with R. microplus and other Acari, is currently greatly hindered by the lack of genome data available; however, we now have access to 115 putative transcriptomic CYP sequences from this species. Following detailed bioinformatics analysis, these sequences have been grouped into families and putative CYP6 and CYP9 homologues identified. From these partial DNA sequences, gene specific primers have been designed and used in 5’ and 3’ RACE reactions to isolate full length cDNA sequences. The isolation of these novel CYP cDNAs will facilitate detailed enzymatic characterization and investigation into their role in pesticide resistance.