Hemoglobin digestion in blood-feeding ticks: mapping of multipeptidase pathway by functional proteomics
2009
Abstract
Hemoglobin digestion is an essential process for blood-feeding parasites. We deconvoluted the hemoglobinolytic cascade in the tick Ixodes ricinus, a vector of Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.
A network of digestive peptidases was demonstrated through imaging with specific activity-based probes and activity profiling. Selective inhibitors were applied to dissect the roles of the individual peptidases and determine the peptidase-specific cleavage map of the hemoglobin molecule.
Because of their central function in nutrition of the parasite, the identified enzymes are potential targets to developing novel anti-tick vaccines that limit parasite survival and disease transmission.