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Orcokinin-like immunoreactivity in central neurons innervating the salivary glands and hindgut of ixodid ticks

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Abstract

Orcokinins are conserved neuropeptides within the Arthropoda but their cellular distribution and functions in ticks are unknown. We use an antibody against the highly conserved N-terminal (NFDEIDR) of mature orcokinin peptides to examine their distribution in six ixodid species: Amblyomma variegatum, Dermacentor reticulatus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Numerous immunoreactive neurons (~100) were detected in various regions of the synganglion (central nervous system) in all examined tick species. Immunoreactive projections of two prominent groups of efferent neurons in the post-oesophageal region were examined in detail: (1) neurons innervating the salivary glands; (2) neurons innervating the hindgut. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation–time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF), we detected orcokinin peaks in extracts of the synganglia and hindguts but not in the salivary glands of I. scapularis females. Our data provide further evidence of the presence of orcokinin in ixodid ticks and establish a morphological basis for functional studies of identified peptidergic neuronal networks.

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Abbreviations

PcAM:

Protocerebral anteromedial neuron

PcDM:

Protocerebral dorsomedial neuron

PcPM:

Protocerebral posteromedial neuron

PcVM:

Protocerebral ventromedial neuron

PdDL:

Pedal dorsolateral neuron

PdDM:

Pedal dorsomedial neuron

PdVL:

Pedal ventrolateral neuron

PdVM:

Pedal ventromedial neuron

PeDM:

Pre-oesophageal dorsomedial neuron

PeV:

Pre-oesophageal ventral neuron

PoHG:

Post-oesophageal neuron innervating hindgut

PoVM:

Post-oesophageal neuron

OsDM:

Opisthosomal dorsomedial neuron

OsVM:

Opisthosomal ventromedial neuron

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Correspondence to Žitňan Dušan.

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Roller Ladislav and Šimo Ladislav contributed equally to this work.

This study was supported by the Research and Development Operational Programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ITMS: 26240220044); L.S. and Y.P. were supported by the National Institute of Health (grant no. R01AI090062).

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Ladislav, R., Ladislav, Š., Akira, M. et al. Orcokinin-like immunoreactivity in central neurons innervating the salivary glands and hindgut of ixodid ticks. Cell Tissue Res 360, 209–222 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-015-2121-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-015-2121-z

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