Studies On The Salivary Gland Proteins And Hormonal Regulation Of Female Haemaphysalis Longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae)

Ticks are well known vectors transmitting a great variety of infectious pathogens and causing serious damage to human and livestock. Salivary glands play important roles in tick life cycle and are the "windows" of pathogens entering their hosts. Thus, researches on the salivary glands have important significance on the theoretical and practical level.A series of systematic experiments were conducted on salivary glands of female Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, including their protein concentration, components and dynamic changes during different developmental stages; the effects of juvenile hormone and ecdysteroids on them; the preliminary analysis of their proteome by means of biochemistry, hormonal research technique and 2D-PAGE for the first time. The present research will provide foundation for further investigations on the important organ in the future. The main results were as follows:1. The protein content varied during different developmental stages. The concentration of protein was low (9.51μg/tick), increased sharply on d2 after attachment (34.90μg/tick), and reached its maximum (84.40μg/tick) on the day of mating, which was about 8.8 times of unfed females. After engorgement, the protein contents declined evidently, which were 39.47 μg/tick of E2 stage and 20.54μg/tick of E4 stage respectively.In unfed females, 17 protein bands were detected. On d2 after attachment, the protein bands attained 23. After mating, the protein bands reached 26 and maintained the same level until d4 after engorgement. These results meant that feeding and mating can stimulate the biosynthesis of new protein. Among the protein profile, about 10 main protein bands were determined, which molecular weight were 192 kDa, 158 kDa, 136 kDa, 133 kDa, 129 kDa, 97 kDa, 84 kDa, 74 kDa, 45 kDa and 32 kDa respectively. Along with the development, the main protein bands changed, which presented adding, lacking and changing of quantity.2. The protein content and components of female H. longicornis were affected by juvenile hormone (JH III) and were different along with given developmental stages and the doses used. Treatment with JH III on d2 after feeding, 10μg dosage enhanced remarkably the protein concentration, 10μg, 50μg and 100μg doses restrained the gene expression of 112 kDa band. Treated on the engorgement day and detected on d2, 10μg, 50μg and 100μg promoted evidently the synthesis of protein, 100μg dose caused the expression of 28 kDa new protein and up-regulated expression of 67 kDa protein, higher doses of 200μg and 400μg resulted in...