- Autores: Ayllón N, Boadella M, Canales M, Contreras M, de la Fuente J, Díez-Delgado I, Domingos A, Gortazar C, Merino O, Moreno-Cid JA, Perez de la Lastra JM, Sánchez E, Villar M, Zavala RL
- Ano de Publicação: 2015
- Journal: Ticks Tick Borne Diseases
- Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X15001405?via%3Dihub%20
Ticks are vectors of diseases that affect humans and animals worldwide. Tick vaccines have been proposed as a cost-effective and environmentally sound alternative for tick control. Recently, the Rhipicephalus microplus Subolesin (SUB)-Anaplasma marginale MSP1a chimeric antigen was produced in Escherichia coli as membrane-bound and exposed protein and used to protect vaccinated cattle against tick infestations. In this research, lipidomics and proteomics characterization of the E. coli membrane-bound SUB-MSP1a antigen showed the presence of components with potential adjuvant effect. Furthermore, vaccination with membrane-free SUB-MSP1a and bacterial membranes containing SUB-MSP1a showed that bacterial membranes enhance the immunogenicity of the SUB-MSP1a antigen in animal models. R. microplus female ticks were capillary-fed with sera from pigs orally immunized with membrane-free SUB, membrane bound SUB-MSP1a and saline control. Ticks ingested antibodies added to the blood meal and the effect of these antibodies on reduction of tick weight was shown for membrane bound SUB-MSP1a but not SUB when compared to control. Using the simple and cost-effective process developed for the purification of membrane-bound SUB-MSP1a, endotoxin levels were within limits accepted for recombinant vaccines. These results provide further support for the development of tick vaccines using E. coli membranes exposing chimeric antigens such as SUB-MSP1a.