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Purification of vitellin and dynamics of vitellogenesis in the parthenogenetic tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae)

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Abstract

Vitellin (Vt) was purified from eggs of parthenogenetic bush tick Haemaphysalis longicornis by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. Our results revealed that only one single Vt existed in parthenogenetic bush tick, and the purified Vt was proved to be a hemoglycolipoprotein consisting of nine polypeptides with molecular weights of 203, 147, 126, 82, 74, 70, 61, 47 and 31 kDa, respectively. Polyclonal antibody and monoclonal antibody against Vt were produced using the purified Vt. The change in vitellogenin (Vg) and Vt levels over time of the parthenogenetic H. longicornis was established, and the Vg content in haemolymph and Vt in ovary at different feeding or engorgement statuses was also determined using a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Vg level in haemolymph was distinctly increased on the day of engorgement (1.785 mg/mL) and continued to increase until 2nd day post-engorgement (5.611 mg/mL). There was a slight decrease in Vg level after 4 days of engorgement, and a second peak was observed on day 2 post-oviposition (10.774 mg/mL). Subsequently, Vg content continuously decreased and reached a low level on the 10th day post-oviposition. The Vt content in ovary continuously increased once the female reached its critical weight (0.024 mg per female), and reached the maximum level on day 2 post-oviposition (1.942 mg per female). Afterwards, Vt content rapidly decreased.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31472050; 31071979; 30970406), Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20101303120001), Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province of China (C2014205021), Natural Science Research Programs of Educational Department of Hebei Province (Q2012072), and Science Foundation of Hebei Normal University (L2009Z07; L2012Z05; L2011B13).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China

    Xiaolong Yang, Zhijun Yu, Yanjie He, Xiaoli Xu, Zhihua Gao, Hui Wang, Jie Chen & Jingze Liu

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  1. Xiaolong Yang
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Correspondence to Jingze Liu.

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Xiaolong Yang and Zhijun Yu have contributed equally to this work.

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Yang, X., Yu, Z., He, Y. et al. Purification of vitellin and dynamics of vitellogenesis in the parthenogenetic tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae). Exp Appl Acarol 65, 377–388 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-014-9866-z

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