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RNA interference of cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase reduces fecundity in the hard tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis

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Abstract

Ticks are effective vectors of pathogens because of their blood feeding and high fecundity. This high fecundity is related to the size of the blood meal. Therefore, knowledge of how blood proteins are degraded and converted to proteins, including yolk protein, is important for the development of ways to inhibit the utilization of blood proteins by ticks. RNA interference (RNAi) is becoming a powerful post-transcriptional gene silencing technique that provides insight into gene function. We constructed a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) based on a previously cloned Haemaphysalis longicornis leucine aminopeptidase (HlLAP) gene to reevaluate the biological role in tick blood digestion. Gene specific transcriptional, translational, and functional disruptions were achieved by the introduction of dsRNA into the ticks. Significantly delayed onset of egg-laying and reduced egg oviposition resulted from the RNAi for the HlLAP gene. These results suggest that HlLAP actually works as a blood digestive enzyme and affects tick fecundity via unknown mechanisms. The reduction of egg oviposition may be caused by a decrease in nutrients, especially free amino acids generated by HlLAP, from the blood meal. This is the first report of an impact on tick reproduction caused by gene silencing of a blood digestion-related molecule.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN), Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and a grant from the 21st Century COE program (A-1), Ministry of Education, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan. These experiments comply with the current laws of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan

    Takeshi Hatta, Rika Umemiya, Min Liao, Haiyan Gong, Thasaneeya Harnnoi, Miho Tanaka, Damdinsuren Boldbaatar, Badgar Battsetseg, Jinlin Zhou, Xuenan Xuan & Kozo Fujisaki

  2. National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan

    Takeharu Miyoshi & Naotoshi Tsuji

  3. Biosphere Resource Science and Technology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan

    DeMar Taylor

Authors
  1. Takeshi Hatta
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  2. Rika Umemiya
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  3. Min Liao
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  4. Haiyan Gong
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  5. Thasaneeya Harnnoi
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  6. Miho Tanaka
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  7. Takeharu Miyoshi
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  8. Damdinsuren Boldbaatar
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  9. Badgar Battsetseg
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  10. Jinlin Zhou
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  11. Xuenan Xuan
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  12. Naotoshi Tsuji
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  13. DeMar Taylor
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  14. Kozo Fujisaki
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kozo Fujisaki.

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Hatta, T., Umemiya, R., Liao, M. et al. RNA interference of cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase reduces fecundity in the hard tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis . Parasitol Res 100, 847–854 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0336-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0336-3

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