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Tick Paralysis: Solving an Enigma
Ronel Pienaar1,2, Albert W H Neitz3, Ben J Mans4,5,6
1Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council⁻Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa. volschenkr@arc.agric.za.
Veterinary Sciences
|May 15, 2018
Summary
Ticks, while disease vectors, rarely cause paralysis unlike most venomous arachnids. This review explores tick toxins, their origins, and compares them to scorpion and spider venoms for vaccine development.
Area of Science:
- Arachnology
- Toxicology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Ticks are significant disease vectors, but only a small percentage induce paralysis.
- Most arachnids belong to venomous classes, raising questions about tick classification as venomous.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the classification of ticks as venomous animals.
- To explore the origin and characteristics of tick toxins.
- To compare tick toxins with those of scorpions and spiders.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of tick, scorpion, and spider toxins.
- Phenotypic evaluation of tick-induced paralysis.
- Critical consideration of in-vivo, in-vitro, and in-silico assays for toxin characterization.
Main Results:
- Differences and discrepancies in molecular data highlight the need for more research on tick toxins.
- Physiologically relevant activity is crucial for defining paralysis toxins.
- Homologous venomous characters between ticks and other arachnids are being investigated.
Conclusions:
- Further molecular data on tick toxins is essential.
- A reductionist approach to identify specific tick proteins is key for developing anti-paralysis vaccines.
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