Recipient Organization
BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
(N/A)
HOUSTON,TX 77030
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
(N/A)
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
80%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
Understand soft tick anatomy; understand fundamentals of soft tick feeding using a murine model; evaluate B. turicatae colonization of salivary glands and determine the infectious dose delivered through the saliva; implement molecular approaches to study soft tick biology and pathogen-host interactions; techniques in field collection and surveillance of Argasid and Ixodid ticks.
Project Methods
Dissect B. turicatae infected and uninfected Ornithodoros turicata nymphs and identify midgut and salivary glands. Detect B. turicatae in the midgut and salivary glands. Compare the bloodmeal process of O. turicata, Ornithodoros hermsi, Ornithodoros talaje, and possibly Ornithodoros sonrai and Ornithodoros moubata to learn about feeding differences between Ornithodoros species. Observe the duration of feeding, differences in coxal fluid excretion, and understand the differences of bite site lesions caused by each species. Dissect salivary glands to quantify spirochete loads in the tissues. Induce feeding of B. turicatae infected ticks to capture saliva for quantitative PCR (qPCR). SDS-PAGE of soft tick salivary glands. Immunoblotting to detect the antigenicity of salivary proteins using serum from mice that were fed upon multiple times by O. turicata. Perform immunofluorescent assays on midguts and salivary glands to detect relapsing fever spirochetes. Perform qPCR on soft tick salivary glands and midgut, saliva, and murine blood. Optimize previously reported assays to perform qPCR on midguts, salivary glands, and saliva using primer and probe sets for flagellin. Participate in field collection activities using CO2 trapping devices, soil separation, and cloth dragging techniques.