European Vector Research Articles

Encuentros Con El Yanqui: Norteamericanización Y Cambio Cultural En Chile, 1898–1990

Encuentros Con El Yanqui: Norteamericanización Y Cambio Cultural En Chile, 1898–1990

Bridging of cryptic Borrelia cycles in European songbirds.

The principal European vector for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., the causative agents of Lyme disease, is the host-generalist tick Ixodes ricinus. Almost all terrestrial host-specialist ticks have been supposed not to contribute to the terrestrial Borrelia transmission cycles. Through an experiment with blackbirds, we show successful transmission by the widespread I. frontalis, an abundant bird-specialized tick that infests a broad range of songbirds. In the first phase of the experiment, we obtained Borrelia-infected I. frontalis (infection rate: 19%) and I. ricinus (17%) nymphs by exposing larvae to wild blackbirds that carried several genospecies (Borrelia turdi, B. valaisiana, B. burgdorferi s.s.). In the second phase, pathogen-free blackbirds were exposed to these infected nymphs. Both tick species were able to infect the birds, as indicated by the analysis of xenodiagnostic I. ricinus larvae which provided evidence for both co-feeding and systemic transmission (infection rates: 10%-60%). Ixodes frontalis was shown to transmit B. turdi spirochetes, while I. ricinus transmitted both B. turdi and B. valaisiana. Neither species transmitted B. burgdorferi s.s. European enzootic cycles of Borrelia between songbirds and their ornithophilic ticks do exist, with I. ricinus potentially acting as a bridging vector towards mammals, including man.

Determination of European vector of insurance development of vehicle owners’ civil liability

An analysis of Ukrainian insurance market for vehicle owners’ civil liability is carried out in the article. The main purposes of insurance coverage for compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ liability are defined. The key issues of bringing a compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability into line with European standards are defined. Stages of implementation of key aspects of bringing a compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability into line with European guidelines are studied. An implementation of compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability is associated with the need to compensate the damage of life, health and/or property of injured in the accident and the protection of property interests. The level of compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ liability in the insurance market of Ukraine lags behind the level of foreign markets. In terms of European integration, there is an urgent need to find ways of bringing a compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability into line with European standards. The results of the analysis of domestic market of compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability could argue that implementation of reform measures is realized for all purposes to bring the market into line with European standards . This research may be useful as a part of the program of Ukrainian insurance market development, which will contribute to national economic development and will have confidence and be competitive in the global insurance market .

Institutionalization of social rights in the European Union: analysis of trends of standardization

The purpose of this study is to identify trends in the process of institutionalization of social rights in the European Union. This paper provides an overview of documents that institutionalize standards of social rights in the European Union; systematization of standards of social rights in these documents; an analysis of recent changes to the standards proclaimed in the European Social Funds 2017; analysis of dynamics, changes in the structure of social rights and identification of characteristic features. The period of observation is years from 1951 (the first adoption of the European Social Charter) until 2017 (adoption of the document "European Foundations of Social Rights"). In the course of the study it has been discovered that the list of standards is expanding with an adoption of a new document while a speed of growth in the number of standards with time is increasing. Extensions and refinement of standards are mainly carried out at the expense of general labor and social rights. The most stable dynamics has the list of standards of protection of separate classes of population. The most important part of social rights standards during the analyzed period is the set of employees’ rights and the working conditions. There search was conducted on the basis of official documents of the Council of Europe and the European Union. The results of the study may be used as an example of formation of social standards in the countries where socially oriented economy is not formed. It is oriented primarily at the non-European Union countries which have an external European integration vector. Succession of institutionalization of social standards in the European Union is a benchmark for development of a socially-oriented economy in one’s own country.

ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКИЙ ВЕКТОР РОЗВИТКУ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ НЕСТРАХОВИХ ПОСЕРЕДНИКІВ В УКРАЇНІ

Narrow and broad understanding of the activity of non-insurance intermediaries are suggested. The conсept of the activity of non-insurance intermediaries is disclosed, taking into account the division into main and ancillary activity and their ability to be as outsourcers. A comparison of the insurance and non-insurance intermediaries on the basis of EU legislation is presented. European vector of development of non-insurance intermediaries in Ukraine is defined. It means necessity of implementation of regulation of their ancillary activity related to the distribution of insurance services. Insurance companies and non-insurance intermediaries cooperation in countries of the European Union and Ukraine is characterized.

REFORMING OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE BRANCHES OF ECONOMICS ACCORDING TO REQUIREMENTS NEEDED FOR EROPEAN INTEGRATION

Urgency of the research is specified by the potential of infrastructure sectors to multiply the negative effects of natural monopoly in the economy, as well as by the commitment of their reforming to minimize those effects that is coming out from the EU Association Agreement. Target setting. Determination of the European vector of economic development brings up to date the need for delineation of the actually ways of infrastructure sectors reforming. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Among the researches of this problem are R. Pittman, J. Tirole, I. Borovyk, A. Ignatiuk, H. Fyliuk. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. There is a lack of researches of the tools of competition penetration into the infrastructure sectors under the modern institutional challenges of European integration. The research objective. This article determines the existing approaches to infrastructure sectors reforming in the context of the 3d Energy package, as well as draws the optimal way of such a reform. The statement of basic materials. The article brings the comparative analysis of the variety of models of infrastructure sectors’ reforming, which are in the use in the EU. It also assesses their adequacy to the Ukrainian environment and to the institutional requirements of the obligations incurred by Ukraine. It determines the current state and the perspectives of the Ukrainian infrastructure sectors development. Conclusions. The article defines that the most effective model of infrastructure sectors’ development is the full ownership unbundling. On the interim stage of the reform, the models of an independent operator (ISO and ITO models) may be used to gear the Ukrainian regulatory system to the requirements of the model of full ownership unbundling.

ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЯ ОСВІТНІХ ПРОЦЕСІВ У ДОНЕЦЬКОМУ КРАЇ: ПРОТИСТОЯННЯ РЕАЛЬНОСТЕЙ

The article observes the transformational processes in educational environment of the Donetsk region and hightights the vectors of pro-European and reverse models of educational processes. The author emphasises on the differences between reformation and indocrination, alanyzes upbringing of the younger generation and necesserity to develop a program of prevention the manipulative methods which influence on the consciousness of youth through the educational channels. Education of Ukraine has become the prolongation to the Soviet system. Russification and the relics of Soviet values have played a key role in the process of losing of Ukrainian positions in the Donetsk region and Lugansk region. The occupation of these territories lays a deeper diversity in worldvie, because the occupants support the basis of the "Russian world" through education and mass media. Ukrainian education has gone from deideologization, humanization and national orientation to the European vector of change. The reform of Ukrainian school is aimed at forming an active position of student in the modern world. The Donetsk region have suffered from a strong russification of schools, which even today demonstrate the lowest rates for teaching on Ukrainian language. The occupied territory of the Donbas is subjected to political and cultural reprogramming of population according to the Russian inrerest. They do it through the educational processes by the way of forced introduction of a pro-Russian model into school curricula. The processes of indocrination appeared in the purposeful reorientation of teaching courses and program material according to the Russian context. In the content we could see the shifting emphasis, revision of the humanitarian disciplines in the discourse of Slavic (Russian) world restoration. It is important to develop methodological support and a broad informative basis for responding to a humanitarian attack by a neighboring state.

Copy number variability of expression plasmids determined by cell sorting and Droplet Digital PCR.

BackgroundPlasmids are widely used for molecular cloning or production of proteins in laboratory and industrial settings. Constant modification has brought forth countless plasmid vectors whose characteristics in terms of average plasmid copy number (PCN) and stability are rarely known. The crucial factor determining the PCN is the replication system; most replication systems in use today belong to a small number of different classes and are available through repositories like the Standard European Vector Architecture (SEVA).ResultsIn this study, the PCN was determined in a set of seven SEVA-based expression plasmids only differing in the replication system. The average PCN for all constructs was determined by Droplet Digital PCR and ranged between 2 and 40 per chromosome in the host organism Escherichia coli. Furthermore, a plasmid-encoded EGFP reporter protein served as a means to assess variability in reporter gene expression on the single cell level. Only cells with one type of plasmid (RSF1010 replication system) showed a high degree of heterogeneity with a clear bimodal distribution of EGFP intensity while the others showed a normal distribution. The heterogeneous RSF1010-carrying cell population and one normally distributed population (ColE1 replication system) were further analyzed by sorting cells of sub-populations selected according to EGFP intensity. For both plasmids, low and highly fluorescent sub-populations showed a remarkable difference in PCN, ranging from 9.2 to 123.4 for ColE1 and from 0.5 to 11.8 for RSF1010, respectively.ConclusionsThe average PCN determined here for a set of standardized plasmids was generally at the lower end of previously reported ranges and not related to the degree of heterogeneity. Further characterization of a heterogeneous and a homogeneous population demonstrated considerable differences in the PCN of sub-populations. We therefore present direct molecular evidence that the average PCN does not represent the true number of plasmid molecules in individual cells.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-016-0610-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Antiplasmodial Activity Is an Ancient and Conserved Feature of Tick Defensins.

Ancestral sequence reconstruction has been widely used to test evolution-based hypotheses. The genome of the European tick vector, Ixodes ricinus, encodes for defensin peptides with diverse antimicrobial activities against distantly related pathogens. These pathogens include fungi, Gram-negative, and Gram-positive bacteria, i.e., a wide antimicrobial spectrum. Ticks do not transmit these pathogens, suggesting that these defensins may act against a wide range of microbes encountered by ticks during blood feeding or off-host periods. As demonstrated here, these I. ricinus defensins are also effective against the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum. To study the general evolution of antimicrobial activity in tick defensins, the ancestral amino acid sequence of chelicerate defensins, which existed approximately 444 million years ago, was reconstructed using publicly available scorpion and tick defensin sequences (named Scorpions-Ticks Defensins Ancestor, STiDA). The activity of STiDA was tested against P. falciparum and the same Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria that were used for the I. ricinus defensins. While some extant tick defensins exhibit a wide antimicrobial spectrum, the ancestral defensin showed moderate activity against one of the tested microbes, P. falciparum. This study suggests that amino acid variability and defensin family expansion increased the antimicrobial spectrum of ancestral tick defensins.

An Implementation-Focused Bio/Algorithmic Workflow for Synthetic Biology.

As synthetic biology moves away from trial and error and embraces more formal processes, workflows have emerged that cover the roadmap from conceptualization of a genetic device to its construction and measurement. This latter aspect (i.e., characterization and measurement of synthetic genetic constructs) has received relatively little attention to date, but it is crucial for their outcome. An end-to-end use case for engineering a simple synthetic device is presented, which is supported by information standards and computational methods and focuses on such characterization/measurement. This workflow captures the main stages of genetic device design and description and offers standardized tools for both population-based measurement and single-cell analysis. To this end, three separate aspects are addressed. First, the specific vector features are discussed. Although device/circuit design has been successfully automated, important structural information is usually overlooked, as in the case of plasmid vectors. The use of the Standard European Vector Architecture (SEVA) is advocated for selecting the optimal carrier of a design and its thorough description in order to unequivocally correlate digital definitions and molecular devices. A digital version of this plasmid format was developed with the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) along with a software tool that allows users to embed genetic parts in vector cargoes. This enables annotation of a mathematical model of the device's kinetic reactions formatted with the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML). From that point onward, the experimental results and their in silico counterparts proceed alongside, with constant feedback to preserve consistency between them. A second aspect involves a framework for the calibration of fluorescence-based measurements. One of the most challenging endeavors in standardization, metrology, is tackled by reinterpreting the experimental output in light of simulation results, allowing us to turn arbitrary fluorescence units into relative measurements. Finally, integration of single-cell methods into a framework for multicellular simulation and measurement is addressed, allowing standardized inspection of the interplay between the carrier chassis and the culture conditions.

Projecting changes in the distribution and productivity of living marine resources: A critical review of the suite of modelling approaches used in the large European project VECTORS

We review and compare four broad categories of spatially-explicit modelling approaches currently used to understand and project changes in the distribution and productivity of living marine resources including: 1) statistical species distribution models, 2) physiology-based, biophysical models of single life stages or the whole life cycle of species, 3) food web models, and 4) end-to-end models. Single pressures are rare and, in the future, models must be able to examine multiple factors affecting living marine resources such as interactions between: i) climate-driven changes in temperature regimes and acidification, ii) reductions in water quality due to eutrophication, iii) the introduction of alien invasive species, and/or iv) (over-)exploitation by fisheries. Statistical (correlative) approaches can be used to detect historical patterns which may not be relevant in the future. Advancing predictive capacity of changes in distribution and productivity of living marine resources requires explicit modelling of biological and physical mechanisms. New formulations are needed which (depending on the question) will need to strive for more realism in ecophysiology and behaviour of individuals, life history strategies of species, as well as trophodynamic interactions occurring at different spatial scales. Coupling existing models (e.g. physical, biological, economic) is one avenue that has proven successful. However, fundamental advancements are needed to address key issues such as the adaptive capacity of species/groups and ecosystems. The continued development of end-to-end models (e.g., physics to fish to human sectors) will be critical if we hope to assess how multiple pressures may interact to cause changes in living marine resources including the ecological and economic costs and trade-offs of different spatial management strategies. Given the strengths and weaknesses of the various types of models reviewed here, confidence in projections of changes in the distribution and productivity of living marine resources will be increased by assessing model structural uncertainty through biological ensemble modelling.

Mitogenomes reveal diversity of the European Lyme borreliosis vector Ixodes ricinus in Italy

In Europe, the Ixodes ricinus tick is the most important vector of the etiological agents of Lyme borreliosis and several other emerging tick-borne diseases. Because tick-borne pathogens are dependent on their vectors for transmission, understanding the vector population structure is crucial to inform public health research of pathogen dynamics and spread. However, the population structure and dynamics of this important vector species are not well understood as most genetic studies utilize short mitochondrial and nuclear sequences with little diversity. Herein we obtained and analyzed complete mitochondrial genome (hereafter “mitogenome”) sequences to better understand the genetic diversity and the population structure of I. ricinus from two long-standing tick-borne disease foci in northern Italy. Complete mitogenomes of 23 I. ricinus ticks were sequenced at high coverage. Out of 23 mitogenome sequences we identified 17 unique haplotypes composed of 244 segregating sites. Phylogenetic reconstruction using 18 complete mitogenome sequences revealed the coexistence of four highly divergent I. ricinus maternal lineages despite the narrow spatial scale over which these samples were obtained (100km). Notably, the estimated coalescence time of the 18 mitogenome haplotypes is ∼427 thousand years ago (95% HPD 330, 540). This divergence between I. ricinus lineages is consistent with the mitochondrial diversity of other arthropod vector species and indicates that long-term I. ricinus populations may have been less structured and larger than previously thought. Thus, this study suggests that a rapid and accurate retrieval of full mitochondrial genomes from this disease vector enables fine-resolution studies of tick intraspecies genetic relationships, population differentiation, and demographic history.

SEVA Linkers: A Versatile and Automatable DNA Backbone Exchange Standard for Synthetic Biology.

DNA vectors serve to maintain and select recombinant DNA in cell factories, and as design complexity increases, there is a greater need for well-characterized parts and methods for their assembly. Standards in synthetic biology are top priority, but standardizing molecular cloning contrasts flexibility, and different researchers prefer and master different molecular technologies. Here, we describe a new, highly versatile and automatable standard "SEVA linkers" for vector exchange. SEVA linkers enable backbone swapping with 20 combinations of classical enzymatic restriction/ligation, Gibson isothermal assembly, uracil excision cloning, and a nicking enzyme-based methodology we term SEVA cloning. SEVA cloning is a simplistic one-tube protocol for backbone swapping directly from plasmid stock solutions. We demonstrate the different performance of 30 plasmid backbones for small molecule and protein production and obtain more than 10-fold improvement from a four-gene biosynthetic pathway and 430-fold improvement with a difficult-to-express membrane protein. The standardized linkers and protocols add to the Standard European Vectors Architecture (SEVA) resource and are freely available to the synthetic biology community.

Combining pheromone and kairomones for effective trapping of the pine sawyer beetle Monochamus galloprovincialis

AbstractMonochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a secondary wood borer that acquired primordial importance since it was identified as the European vector of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD). An effective trapping method is needed as a tool for managing this insect vector and allowing early detection of nematode transportation. Among effective attractants identified in recent years are the specific M. galloprovincialis aggregation pheromone, host pine kairomones such as α‐pinene and bark beetle kairomones like ipsenol and methyl‐butenol. The main objective of this study was to optimize the combination of these volatiles to improve lure attractiveness and specificity. Based on ten complementary field experiments, we found a pheromone dose‐response of trap catches. The best combination of attractants was the aggregation pheromone plus two bark beetle kairomones, ipsenol and methyl‐butenol. Addition of pine terpenes, such as α‐pinene, did not significantly improve M. galloprovincialis trap capture, but did increase catch of non target species, including natural enemies. The use of pine terpenes would be advisable only if priorizing to maximize removal of vectors. While this research has lead to the development a new, highly attractive commercial lure for mature pine sawyers, none of the tested blends were successful in attracting immature pine sawyer adults. Further investigation is needed to develop attractants for these beetles.

THE MODERN TRENDS OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

Purpose – is to summarise and present the development of theoretical foundations of the process of integration of the national industrial infrastructure system based on logistic transformations. Methodology of research. Theoretical and methodological basis of the study are research works of domestic and foreign scholars on the integration of social and economic systems. The article used the dialectical method of cognition, as well as the following methods: a systematic and structural analysis, logical generalization – the study of the formation of scientific positions and forming the methodological foundations of the development of production infrastructure. Results. Implemented theoretical and methodological substantiation of the implementation of transformational changes infrastructural capacity in the context of sustainable development of the regional economic system. The transformation of the infrastructure capacity in the region is defined as a process of deep changes in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the Multisectoral infrastructure complex on the principles of sustainable development in the direction of achieving the optimum, tailored to the needs of the regional parameters of its operation, taking into account global trends and inherited experience. The authors constructed a conceptual framework based on the transformation of infrastructure transformation sector. Transport related activities have many impacts on the environment. The most important effects are contribution to climate change, to local air pollution, to noise levels, to biodiversity loss and natural resources depletion. Practical value. These findings have practical value in the development of regional strategies and programs of development in the context of the European integration vector.

Интеллектуальный капитал страны как основа социально-экономической безопасности

The article focuses on the importance of analysing of intellectual capital impact on the level of stabilization of the economic condition of the country and its regions, and on the provision of socio-economic security. It is stated that the prevention of the systemic crisis and increasing competitiveness of the country is possible by effective implementation of intellectual potential and development of intellectual capital. The intellectual potential is becoming the main condition for economic progress. Intellectual capital is the most important and valuable resource to achieve this goal, and it’s the basis of socio-economic security. This article provides the intellectual capital structure and justifies the methodical approach to definition of the human capital. The potential of the country is represented as a correlation between potential capital and technological transformation of intellectual capital. The article indi-cates that potential and intellectual capital are a source of economic growth balanced performance of the country, their correlation determines the rate of development and, consequently, the level of socio-economic security. Acceleration of European integration, the implementation of the European vector of development of Ukraine is impossible without the availability of appropriate and sufficient intellectual potential of intellectual capital as a materialized form of provisional implementation of appropriate capacity.

THREATS AND BENEFITS OF EXCHANGE RATE REGIMES FOR UKRAINE IN TERMS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

The purpose of the paper is to determine threats and benefits of exchange rate regimes in terms of the integration of Ukraine into the European community. Emphasizing features of the manifestation of currency exchange rate in Ukrainian practice is a precondition for choosing the optimal exchange rate regime for Ukraine, which, in its turn, will provide an opportunity to reduce inflation and implement effective tools of monetary and fiscal policies to promote further economic growth and competitiveness of the country. The uses of free-floating exchange rate and «currency board» regimes have either positive effects for Ukraine or certain threats. Methodology. This research is based on a synthesis of data on the uses of exchange rate regimes in Ukraine as an independent. It is considered angular regimes, which are by far the most suitable for Ukraine in terms of the European vector of its development. Peculiarities of using these regimes are revealed and their major threats to the domestic economy are pointed out. This article analyzes the dynamics of the trade balance of payments of Ukraine, the dynamics of the commodity structure of Ukraine`s exports and imports and the external debt of Ukraine. Results. Taking into account the experience of countries, which were in crisis situations, they show the necessity of the uses of freefloating exchange rate regime and possibilities of «currency board» regime, despite threats that they may have. World experience testifies the implementation of structural reforms, effective monetary policy, fiscal policy and discipline of the government. Thorough preparation of Ukraine’s transition to the «currency board» regime can justify itself in conditions of crisis and provide impetus to Ukrainian economy benefits. The paper defines conditions under which the success of a new model of exchange rate policy will be achieved. Practical implications. The study accents attention on the specifics of the uses of the free-floating exchange rate and «currency board» regimes in the current recessionary economic and political conditions, and the declared Strategy on Sustainable Development «Ukraine–2020» in terms of European integration. Moreover, advantages and threats of the most favorable exchange rate regimes were identified to overcome the economic crisis, and accordingly create conditions for further economic growth and increase competitiveness of the country. This article provides an opportunity to identify the conditions for success of a new model of exchange rate policy to achieve economic stabilization and the beginning of economic growth. Value/originality. Despite the existing studies in the field of exchange regulation at present, there are no comprehensive concepts and a common approach to the uses of an exchange rate regime in Ukraine to stabilize the economy, create conditions for long-term economic growth and increase the competitiveness of the economy. It identifies the need to conduct this study, focuses the attention on the conceptual basis of freefloating exchange rate and «currency board» regimes, and deepen scientific and methodological research base of the studying exchange rate regimes particularly those that would help Ukraine to overcome the crisis. This paper reveals the authors’ views on the uses of the new model of exchange rate policy, the success of which depends primarily on the government.

Factor of ‘power’ in the European vector of Russia’s foreign policy strategy and the globalization of energy policy

In the modern world of energy dependent economies, the energy component acts as a determining factor in making strategic and political decisions in the geopolitical dimensions. The article’s central interest focuses on the economic origins and financial base of the energy component of Russia’s aggressive foreign policy in the European space. It contains the qualitative and quantitative indicators of the structure of modern Russian energy market and presents the research of sources of economic basis of Russia’s military overcapacity and correlation between the size of defense spending and state budget revenues of the Russian Federation in the energy sector. Based on the findings of this study, possible ways and measures can be modeled to create an effective financial‑economic and political‑strategic system of the EU states to deter the current course of the Kremlin tight energy policy on the territory of European countries.

Dispersal of Monochamus galloprovincialis (Col.: Cerambycidae) as recorded by mark–release–recapture using pheromone traps

AbstractThe spread of the pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophylus (Nematoda; Aphelenchoididae), the causal agent of the pine wilt disease, is greatly constrained to the dispersal of its vectors, long‐horned beetles of the Monochamus genus. Disease spread at global and regional scales has been mainly caused by human‐mediated transport, yet at a local scale, the short‐ and long‐distance dispersal behaviour of the beetles determine colonization dynamics. Three mark–release–recapture experiments using commercial traps and lures allowed the parameterization of the dispersal kernel under two landscape fragmentation scenarios for the only known European PWN vector, Monochamus galloprovincialis. The respective release of 171 and 353 laboratory‐reared beetles in continuous pine stands in 2009 and 2010 resulted in 36% and 28% recapture rates, yet, at a fragmented landscape in 2011, only 2% of the released 473 individuals could be recaptured. Recaptures occurred as soon as 7–14 days after their release, in agreement with the requirement of sexual maturation to respond to the pheromone–kairomone attractants. Data from the first two experiments were fitted to one mechanical and two empirical dispersal models, from which the distance dispersal kernels could be computed. Derived estimated radii enclosing 50% and 99% of dispersing M. galloprovincialis under continuous pine stands ranged between 250–532 m and 2344–3495 m depending on the replicate and choice of model. Forecasted recaptures in 2011 resulted in a moderate underestimation of long‐distance dispersal, probably influenced by the high degree of habitat fragmentation. In addition, trapping parameters such as the effective sampling area (0.57–0.76 ha) or the seasonal sampling range (426–645 m) could be derived. Observed results, derived dispersal kernels and trapping parameters provide valuable information for the integrated pest management of PWD. Furthermore, estimated dispersal distances indicate that ongoing clear‐cut measures for eradication in the European Union are likely ineffective in stopping the vectors dispersal.

Integration of Ixodes ricinus genome sequencing with transcriptome and proteome annotation of the naïve midgut.

BackgroundIn Europe, Ixodes ricinus ticks are the most important vectors of diseases threatening humans, livestock, wildlife and companion animals. Nevertheless, genomic sequence information is missing and functional annotation of transcripts and proteins is limited. This lack of information is restricting studies of the vector and its interactions with pathogens and hosts. Here we present and integrate the first analysis of the I. ricinus genome with the transcriptome and proteome of the unfed I. ricinus midgut.MethodsWhole genome sequencing was performed on I. ricinus ticks and the sequences were de novo assembled. In parallel, I. ricinus ticks were dissected and the midgut transcriptome sequenced. Both datasets were integrated by transcript discovery analysis to identify putative genes and genome contigs were screened for homology. An alignment-based and a motif-search-based approach were combined for the annotation of the midgut transcriptome. Additionally, midgut proteins were identified and annotated by mass spectrometry with public databases and the in-house built transcriptome database as references and results were cross-validated.ResultsThe de novo assembly of 1 billion DNA sequences to a reference genome of 393 Mb length provides an unprecedented insight into the I. ricinus genome. A homology search revealed sequences in the assembled genome contigs homologous to 89 % of the I. scapularis genome scaffolds indicating coverage of most genome regions. We identified moreover 6,415 putative genes. More than 10,000 transcripts from naïve midgut were annotated with respect of predicted function and/or cellular localization. By combining an alignment-based with a motif-search-based annotation approach, we doubled the number of annotations throughout all functional categories. In addition, 574 gel spots were significantly identified by mass spectrometry (p < 0.05) and 285 distinct proteins expressed in the naïve midgut were annotated functionally and/or for cellular localization. Our systems approach reveals a midgut metabolism of the unfed tick that is prepared to sense and process an anticipated blood meal.ConclusionsThis multiple-omics study vastly extends the publicly available DNA and RNA databases for I. ricinus, paving the way for further in-depth analysis of the most important European disease vector and its interactions with pathogens and hosts.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1981-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.