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Background <p>Tick hemolymph is a sterile fluid that carries nutrients to maintain tick health. The hemolymph creates a hostile environment for invaders including the destruction of microorganisms by its circulating hemocytes. However, <i>Babesia</i> parasites escape and disseminate to other organs through the hemolymph to continue their transmission life cycle. Still, it is unknown how tick hemocytes respond to <i>B. bovis</i> or <i>B. bigemina</i> infection. In this study, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis of hemocytes from female <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> ticks infected with <i>Babesia</i> parasites to understand how gene expression changes during parasite infection.</p> Methods <p>During <i>Babesia</i> acute infection, female <i>R. microplus</i> ticks were fed on bovines to acquire parasites. Engorged females were collected and incubated to develop <i>Babesia</i> kinetes in tick hemolymph. The hemolymph was examined to identify ticks that were highly infected with <i>Babesia</i> kinetes. Hemocyte cells were collected from replete female ticks infected with <i>Babesia bovis</i> or <i>Babesia bigemina</i> to perform high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis.</p> Results <p>This study identified major changes in the gene profile of tick hemocytes during <i>Babesia</i> infection. The main groups of hemocyte genes that were altered during <i>Babesia</i> infection were associated with metabolism, immunity, and cytoskeletal rearrangement. Upregulated genes were mainly involved in defense mechanisms, while downregulated genes were related to cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, the expression of hemocyte genes varied among <i>Babesia</i> species’ infections, and it&#xa0;reflected the changes that occurred in the tick’s physiology, including growth, reproduction, and skeletal muscle development.</p> Conclusions <p>The differential gene expression of <i>R. microplus</i> hemocytes revealed that genes highly regulated upon <i>Babesia</i> infection were related to metabolism, tick immunity, cell growth, apoptosis, development, metabolism, and reproduction. Additional research is necessary to further define the genes that exhibited varying expression levels in hemocytes during the infection. The findings of this study will enhance our understanding on how <i>Babesia</i> parasites survive in the hostile environment of ticks and perpetuate their transmission cycle, ultimately contributing to the spread of bovine babesiosis.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Transcriptomic analysis of Rhipicephalus microplus hemocytes from female ticks infected with Babesia bovis or Babesia bigemina

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年2月3日

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  • Rubikah Vimonish,
  • Janaina Capelli-Peixoto,
  • Wendell Johnson,
  • Lowell Kappmeyer,
  • Perot Saelao,
  • Naomi Taus,
  • Chungwon Chung,
  • Massaro Ueti

摘要

Background

Tick hemolymph is a sterile fluid that carries nutrients to maintain tick health. The hemolymph creates a hostile environment for invaders including the destruction of microorganisms by its circulating hemocytes. However, Babesia parasites escape and disseminate to other organs through the hemolymph to continue their transmission life cycle. Still, it is unknown how tick hemocytes respond to B. bovis or B. bigemina infection. In this study, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis of hemocytes from female Rhipicephalus microplus ticks infected with Babesia parasites to understand how gene expression changes during parasite infection.

Methods

During Babesia acute infection, female R. microplus ticks were fed on bovines to acquire parasites. Engorged females were collected and incubated to develop Babesia kinetes in tick hemolymph. The hemolymph was examined to identify ticks that were highly infected with Babesia kinetes. Hemocyte cells were collected from replete female ticks infected with Babesia bovis or Babesia bigemina to perform high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis.

Results

This study identified major changes in the gene profile of tick hemocytes during Babesia infection. The main groups of hemocyte genes that were altered during Babesia infection were associated with metabolism, immunity, and cytoskeletal rearrangement. Upregulated genes were mainly involved in defense mechanisms, while downregulated genes were related to cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, the expression of hemocyte genes varied among Babesia species’ infections, and it reflected the changes that occurred in the tick’s physiology, including growth, reproduction, and skeletal muscle development.

Conclusions

The differential gene expression of R. microplus hemocytes revealed that genes highly regulated upon Babesia infection were related to metabolism, tick immunity, cell growth, apoptosis, development, metabolism, and reproduction. Additional research is necessary to further define the genes that exhibited varying expression levels in hemocytes during the infection. The findings of this study will enhance our understanding on how Babesia parasites survive in the hostile environment of ticks and perpetuate their transmission cycle, ultimately contributing to the spread of bovine babesiosis.

Graphical Abstract