Developmental, biochemical, molecular and tissue characterization of the predominant plasma proteins in the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, and the soft tick, Ornithodoros parkeri

A novel lipoglycoheme-carrier protein (CP) in the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say) has been purified and characterized. CP was purified by native-PAGE from partially fed virgin females. CP has a density of 1.25 g/ml with a molecular weight of 200 K by native-PAGE and 340 K by gel filtration chromatography. CP is comprised of two major subunits, 98 K and 92 K in molecular weight by SDS-PAGE. Separate amino acid composition of the two subunits indicated high contents of As(x), Gl(x) and leucine. However, the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the two subunits was only 13% identical. The lower molecular weight subunit showed 61 identity to artemocyanin (biliprotein) in fairy shrimps, 46% identity to minor vitellogenin in chickens and 13% identity to vitellin of the black-legged tick. No similarity match was found for the other subunit. CP is a lipoglycoheme-protein as indicated by selective staining of native-PAGE gel for lipids, carbohydrates and heme. Lipid analysis by thin layer chromatography revealed the presence of cholesterol, phospholipids, monoacylglycerides, triacylglycerides and free fatty acids. Heme associated with purified CP demonstrated a lambda max of 397.5 nm while the lambdamax of crude hemolymph plasma was 402.5 nm. Presence of CP in whole body homogenates of eggs, unfed and fed larvae and fed nymphs as well as in the plasma of unfed and fed adults including vitellogenic females was demonstrated by native-PAGE. Although a protein of analogous size was not found in the soft tick, Ornithodoros parkeri Cooley, a high molecular weight protein (500 K) is the predominant plasma protein in both unfed and fed male and female adults of that species as determined by native-PAGE. Also, CP appears to function as a biliprotein which sequesters heme.;Tissue distribution of CP was characterized by native and SDS-PAGE. CP was detected in plasma, fat body, salivary gland, muscle and ovary tissues from part fed and replete females. Plasma, salivary glands and fat body exhibited higher levels of CP than other tissues. On an equal protein basis, salivary gland tissues manifested higher concentrations of CP than fat body. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).