2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Tick-protozoan parasite interactions: focusing on nutrient metabolism in ticks
| Project/Area Number |
16K18794
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Veterinary medical science
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| Research Institution | Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine |
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Principal Investigator |
SHIRAFUJI Rika 帯広畜産大学, 原虫病研究センター, 助教 (00549909)
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| Research Collaborator |
YOKOYAMA naoaki
SUZUKI hiroshi
HORIUCHI noriyuki
MATSUO tomohide
HAYASHIDA kyoko
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
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| Keywords | マダニ / 栄養シグナル伝達 / 原虫伝播 / RNA干渉法 / 飢餓 / 飽血 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Ticks are blood sucking arthropods and transmit various pathogens to human and animals. In this study, we focused on nutrient metabolism in protozoan parasite-infected ticks and examined the gene expression profiles of autophagy- and Target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway-related molecules in the infected ticks. We found that some genes were up-regulated or down-regulated in protozoan parasite-infected ticks. Subsequently, gene silencing mediated by RNA interference was performed to compare phenotype and infection rates of between control and knockdown ticks. As a result, it was suggested that the molecules involved in the synthesis and uptake of egg yolk protein precursor (vitellogenin), an essential molecule for oocyte / embryo development, might play an important role in the tick-protozoan parasite interactions in the ovaries.
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| Free Research Field |
獣医寄生虫学・獣医衛生動物学（特にマダニ）
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究では、原虫感染マダニモデルを用い、原虫がマダニ卵巣に感染する際に重要な役割を担う分子を見出した。それらの分子は、マダニ胚の栄養源である卵黄タンパク質前駆体（ビテロジェニン）の合成と取り込みに関与する分子であり、研究開始当初の仮説の通り、マダニにおける原虫の伝播は、マダニの生命維持と繁殖の付随現象であることが明らかになった。これらの成果は、将来の原虫伝播阻止ワクチンの作製と効果実証研究へと発展させるための重要な基礎情報である。
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