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Defensin Transcript Distribution In Tissues And Life Stages Of The Ixodid Ticks Amblyomma Americanum And Ixodes Scapularis, Stephanie M. Todd
Defensin Transcript Distribution In Tissues And Life Stages Of The Ixodid Ticks Amblyomma Americanum And Ixodes Scapularis, Stephanie M. Todd
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
A number of bacterial, viral, and protozoan diseases are transmitted to humans via arthropods. Arthropods possess an innate immune system to destroy invading microorganisms. However, arthropods unable to rid their systems of pathogens function as disease vectors. The American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, destroys invading Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes, preventing transmission. In contrast, the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, which is unable to destroy acquired B. burgdorferi, successfully vectors the pathogen. The Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum, vectors a similar pathogen called Borrelia lonestari. The distribution of defensin, an antimicrobial peptide of the innate immune system, was examined in A. americanum and/. …
The Defensin Gene In Dermacentor Variabilis And Ixodes Scapularis, Katherine Corbett Seguin
The Defensin Gene In Dermacentor Variabilis And Ixodes Scapularis, Katherine Corbett Seguin
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
In response to microbial challenge, invertebrates rely on their innate immune response to recognize and destroy harmful pathogens. One of the primary proteins produced by the response and that has been observed in many invertebrates, including insects, mussels, and ticks, is defensin. These proteins are responsible for forming pores in the membranes of invading microbes thereby destroying them. This study examined the gene coding region for defensin in two important tick disease vectors, Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis. PCR amplification of the genes from tick chromosomal DNA resulted in the amplification of a 225 base pair amplicon. Sequencing of …