Identification of three protein disulfide isomerase members from Haemaphysalis longicornis tick

Three genes encoding putative protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) were isolated from the Haemaphysalis longicornis EST database and designed as HlPDI-1, HlPDI-2, and HlPDI-3. All three PDI genes contain two typical PDI active sites CXXC and encode putative 435, 499, and 488 amino acids, respectively. The recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli all show PDI activities, and the activities were inhibited by a PDI-specific inhibitor, zinc bacitracin. Western blot analysis and real-time PCR revealed that three HlPDIs were present in all the developmental stages of the tick as well as in the midgut, salivary glands, ovary, hemolymph, and fatbody of adult female ticks, but the three genes were expressed at the highest level in the egg stage. HlPDI-1 is expressed primarily in the ovary and secondarily in the salivary glands. HlPDI-2 and HlPDI-3 are expressed primarily in the salivary gland, suggesting that the PDI genes are important for tick biology, especially for egg development, and that they play distinct roles in different tissues. Blood feeding induced significantly increased expression of HlPDI-1 and HlPDI-3 in both partially fed nymphs and adults. Babesia gibsoni-infected larval ticks expressed HlPDI-1 and HlPDI-3 2.0 and 4.0 times higher than uninfected normal larval ticks, respectively. The results indicate that HlPDI-1 and HlPDI-3 might be involved in tick blood feeding and Babesia parasite infection in ticks.