Journal article
Antibacterial and antifungal activity of defensins from the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, Vol.10(6)
2019
Abstract
Tick innate immunity involves humoral and cellular responses. Among the humoral effector molecules in ticks are the defensins which are a family of small peptides with a conserved γ-core motif that is crucial for their antimicrobial activity. Defensin families have been identified in several hard and soft tick species. However, little is known about the presence and antimicrobial activity of defensins from the Australian paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus. In this study the I. holocyclus transcriptome was searched for the presence of defensins. Unique and non-redundant defensin sequences were identified and designated as holosins 1 – 5. The antimicrobial activity of holosins 2 and 3 and of the predicted γ-cores of holosins 1–4 (HoloTickCores 1–4), was assessed using Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as the fungus Fusarium graminearum and the yeast Candida albicans. All holosins had molecular features that are conserved in other tick defensins. Furthermore holosins 2 and 3 were very active against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria grayi. Holosins 2 and 3 were also active against F. graminearum and C. albicans and 5 μM of peptide abrogate the growth of these microorganisms. The activity of the synthetic γ-cores was lower than that of the mature defensins apart from HoloTickCore 2 which had activity comparable to mature holosin 2 against the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. This study reveals the presence of a multigene defensin family in I. holocyclus with wide antimicrobial activity.
Details
- Title
- Antibacterial and antifungal activity of defensins from the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus
- Authors/Creators
- A. Cabezas-Cruz (Author/Creator) - École Nationale Vétérinaire d'AlfortM. Tonk (Author/Creator) - Justus-Liebig-Universität GießenM.R. Bleackley (Author/Creator) - La Trobe UniversityJ.J Valdés (Author/Creator) - Sewanee: The University of the SouthR.A. Barrero (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityA. Hernández-Jarguín (Author/Creator) - Instituto de Investigación en Recursos CinegéticosS. Moutailler (Author/Creator) - École Nationale Vétérinaire d'AlfortA. Vilcinskas (Author/Creator) - Justus-Liebig-Universität GießenF. Richard-Forget (Author/Creator) - Mycologie et Sécurité des AlimentsM.A. Anderson (Author/Creator) - LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity GenomicsM. Rodriguez-Valle (Author/Creator) - The University of Queensland
- Publication Details
- Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, Vol.10(6)
- Publisher
- Elsevier GmbH
- Identifiers
- 991005540010707891
- Copyright
- © 2019 Elsevier GmbH.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Comparative Genomics
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 2 Chemistry
- 2.190 Surfactants, Lipid Bilayers & Antimicrobial Peptides
- 2.190.857 Antimicrobial Peptides
- Web Of Science research areas
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Parasitology
- ESI research areas
- Microbiology