Deciphering Babesia-Vector Interactions

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Antunes, Sandra¹  Ferrolho, Joana¹  Couto, Joana¹  Domingos, Ana¹  Rosa, Catarina² 

[1] Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal;Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

关键词: Tick-pathogen interaction;    Babesia spp.;    Vector;    Babesiosis;    Tick-Borne Diseases;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fcimb.2017.00429

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Understanding host-pathogen-tick interactions remains a vitally important issue that might be better understood by basic research focused on each of the dyad interplays. Pathogens gain access to either the vector or host during tick feeding when ticks are confronted with strong hemostatic, inflammatory and immune responses. A prominent example of this is the Babesia spp. - tick - vertebrate host relationship. Babesia spp. are intraerythrocytic apicomplexan organisms spread worldwide, with a complex life cycle. The presence of transovarial transmission in almost all the Babesia species is the main difference between their life cycle and that of other piroplasmida. With more than one hundred species described so far, Babesia are the second most commonly found blood parasite of mammals after trypanosomes. The prevalence of Babesia spp. infection is increasing worldwide and is currently classified as an emerging zoonosis. B. microti and B. divergens are the most frequent etiological agents associated with human babesiosis in North America and Europe, respectively. Although the Babesia-tick system has been extensively researched, the currently available prophylactic and control methods are not efficient, and chemotherapeutic treatment is limited. Studying the molecular changes induced by the presence of Babesia in the vector will not only elucidate the strategies used by the protozoa to overcome mechanical and immune barriers, but will also contribute towards the discovery of important tick molecules that have a role in vector capacity. This review provides an overview of the identified molecules involved in Babesia-tick interactions, with an emphasis on the fundamentally important ones for pathogen acquisition and transmission.

【 授权许可】

CC BY