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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Animal Disease Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364028
Research Project: Development of Detection and Control Strategies for Bovine Babesiosis and Equine Piroplasmosis

Location: Animal Disease Research Unit

Title: Identification of proteins expressed by Babesia bigemina kinetes

Author
item BOHALIGA, GAMILA - Washington State University
item Johnson, Wendell
item Taus, Naomi
item HUSSEIN, HALA - Washington State University
item BASTOS, REGINALDO - Washington State University
item Suarez, Carlos
item Scoles, Glen
item Ueti, Massaro

Submitted to: Parasites & Vectors
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/5/2019
Publication Date: 5/28/2019
Citation: Bohaliga, G.A.R., Johnson, W.C., Taus, N.S., Hussein, H.E., Bastos, R.G., Suarez, C.E., Scoles, G.A., Ueti, M.W. 2019. Identification of proteins expressed by Babesia bigemina kinetes. Parasites & Vectors. 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3531-7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3531-7

Interpretive Summary: Babesia bigemina is the one of most important parasites responsible for bovine babesiosis that results in a high negative economic impact on the cattle industry. To improve bovine babesiosis control, understanding the events of parasite development within the vector and characterizing parasite proteins expressed by parasite tick stages is crucial. In this study, we characterized BBBOND_0206730, CCp2 and CCp3 protein expression during parasite development within the hemolymph of the tick vector. The tick stage specific expression of these parasite proteins suggests their use as potential candidates for developing Babesia transmission blocking vaccines.

Technical Abstract: Tick borne apicomplexan parasites cause a significant economic burden for the cattle industry in tropical and subtropical regions. Tick borne parasites, including Babesia bigemina and B. bovis, infect bovine red blood cells and cause severe acute disease. Both parasites are transovarially transmitted via ticks. When adult female R. microplus acquire B. bigemina from blood, the parasite reproduces sexually in the gut of female ticks. The parasite infects gut epithelial cells and transforms into the kinete stage. This parasite stage invades tick ovaries and infects the egg mass. The subsequent tick generation transmits B. bigemina to bovine hosts. In this study, we determined by immunofluorescent assay that BBBOND_0206730, BBBOND_0203950 and BBBOND_0312400 proteins were expressed by kinetes during development in the hemolymph of adult female R. microplus ticks. BBBOND_0206730 polypeptide was expressed only by B. bigemina kinetes and not by induced sexual stages. In contrast, gene products for both BBBOND_0203950 (CCp2) and BBBOND_0312400 (CCp3) were expressed by B. bigemina induced sexual stages and kinetes in tick hemolymph. None of these proteins were expressed by B. bigemina blood stages. These proteins may play important roles during B. bigemina development within the tick and may serve as potential candidate targets for the development of transmission blocking vaccines.