Abstract
BackgroundThree main enzymes including cathepsin B, cathepsin D and acid phosphatase are involved in vitellin degradation, which is a major biochemical event of the embryonic development and can provide nutrients and metabolites for tick embryos. In the present study, the mRNA expression profiles and enzymatic activity of cathepsin B, cathepsin D and acid phosphatase were investigated during embryonic development in the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis.ResultsThe results revealed that all three enzymes were expressed throughout embryonic development. Both cathepsin B and acid phosphatase transcripts were accumulated during the first four days. Cathepsin B reached its highest expression on day 5, whereas the peak expression of acid phosphatase and cathepsin D occurred on day 11. The highest activity of cathepsin B was observed on the first day of egg development, whereas cathepsin D reached its highest activity on day 13. Acid phosphatase activity increased gradually during the first five days and then remained stable until the end of egg development.ConclusionsThree enzymes were expressed and activated in eggs, and also presented different dynamic changes with the development of embryos. The profiles of both mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of these enzymes indicate that they are controlled orderly and play multiple roles during embryonic development in ticks.
Highlights
Three main enzymes including cathepsin B, cathepsin D and acid phosphatase are involved in vitel‐ lin degradation, which is a major biochemical event of the embryonic development and can provide nutrients and metabolites for tick embryos
Primer verification and Quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) conditions Non-specific amplification was performed to confirm each primer pair using the Tm shown in Table 1 with the complementary DNA (cDNA) template of target genes prepared before
Cathepsin B dynamic changes during embryonic development The relative expression levels of cathepsin B in the eggs from different stages of embryonic development were individually measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Summary
Three main enzymes including cathepsin B, cathepsin D and acid phosphatase are involved in vitel‐ lin degradation, which is a major biochemical event of the embryonic development and can provide nutrients and metabolites for tick embryos. The mRNA expression profiles and enzymatic activity of cathepsin B, cathepsin D and acid phosphatase were investigated during embryonic development in the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. Ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites of wildlife, domestic animals and humans. They are notorious vectors that can transmit various pathogens (viruses, rickettsiae, bacteria, spirochaetes and protozoans) among arthropods [1, 2]. The body weight of female ticks is increased nearly. 100-fold compared to unfed ticks, and more than 50% of engorgement weight is transformed into eggs [6]. The only non-parasitic stage, is vital in the tick life-cycle
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