Proteomics characterization of tick-host-pathogen interactions

Abstract

Ticks are blood-feeding arthropod ectoparasites of wild and domestic animals that transmit disease-causing pathogens to humans and animals worldwide and a good model for the characterization of tick-host-pathogen interactions. Tick-host-pathogen interactions consist of dynamic processes involving genetic traits of hosts, pathogens, and ticks that mediate their development and survival. Proteomics provides information on the protein content of cells and tissues that may differ from results at the transcriptomics level and may be relevant for basic biological studies and vaccine antigen discovery. In this chapter, we describe various methods for protein extraction and for proteomics analysis in ticks based on one-dimensional gel electrophoresis to characterize tick-host-pathogen interactions. Particularly relevant for this characterization is the use of blood-fed ticks. Therefore, we put special emphasis on working with replete ticks collected after feeding on vertebrate hosts.