BmTI antigens induce a bovine protective immune response against Boophilus microplus tick

• Published in: International immunopharmacology Vol. 2; no. 4; pp. 557 - 563
• Main Authors: Andreotti, Renato, Gomes, Alberto, Malavazi-Piza, Kelly C, Sasaki, Sergio D, Sampaio, Claudio A.M, Tanaka, Aparecida S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antibodies - immunology; Antigens - immunology; Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; BmTI antigen; Boophilus microplus; Bos indicus; Bovine; Cattle - immunology; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; gelatin; Immunization - methods; Immunization - veterinary; Immunomodulators; kallikrein; Larva - immunology; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Serine proteinase inhibitor; Tick; Tick Infestations - immunology; Tick Infestations - parasitology; Tick Infestations - prevention & control; Tick Infestations - veterinary; Ticks - growth & development; Ticks - immunology; Time Factors; Trypsin Inhibitors - immunology; Vaccine; Boophilus microplus; Tick; Vaccine; Bovine; Serine proteinase inhibitor; Ox; Acari; Parasiticid; Subcutaneous administration; Ixodidae; Ungulata; Parasitiformes; Immunization; Immune response; Enzyme; Enzyme inhibitor; Serine enzyme; Antigen; Peptidases; Arachnida; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Ixodida; Arthropoda; Animal; Hydrolases; Artiodactyla; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/S1567-5769(01)00203-X

Boophilus microplus trypsin inhibitors (BmTIs) present in larvae were preliminarily characterized as active proteins, approximately 10–18 kDa, by SDS-PAGE. BmTIs showed trypsin inhibitory activity on reverse zymography containing gelatin (0.03%) and also inhibited others serine proteinases (human neutrophil elastase and human plasma kallikrein). Bos indicus, Nelore breed calves, previously sensitized with BmTIs and challenged with tick larvae (20,000 larvae/animal), showed 72.8% efficacy to interfere in tick development with 69.7% and 71.3% reduction of both tick number and egg weight, respectively. Cattle BmTIs antiserum titer was approximately 1:8000. The maximum level of BmTIs antibody production was detected 40 days after the first immunization by ELISA. Our preliminary results suggest that B. microplus serine proteinase inhibitors may play a role in the tick larvae fixation and feeding processes. Therefore, the development of antibodies against BmTIs might impair the normal parasitism.