Potential effects on Rhipicephalus microplus tick larvae fed on calves immunized with a Subolesin peptide predicted...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Parasitology
• Immunology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus causes significant economic losses in global cattle production.
• The Subolesin antigen shows potential for protecting cattle against tick infestations.
• Developing effective vaccines against R. microplus is crucial for sustainable cattle farming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and synthesize protective epitopes from the R. microplus Subolesin gene using in silico methods.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a recombinant peptide containing predicted epitopes in protecting cattle against R. microplus challenge.
• To assess the impact of the recombinant peptide on tick reproduction and cattle immune response.

Main Methods:

• Bioinformatic strategies were employed to predict linear B-cell and conformational discontinuous epitopes within the Subolesin gene.
• A recombinant peptide encompassing these epitopes was synthesized and used to immunize European crossbred calves.
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the IgG immune response, followed by a tick challenge with R. microplus larvae.

Main Results:

• Immunization with the recombinant Subolesin peptide resulted in a 79% reduction in engorged female ticks.
• Egg hatching in the tick population fed on immunized calves was reduced by 30%.
• The recombinant peptide demonstrated a notable impact on tick reproduction, potentially exceeding previous Subolesin protein studies.

Conclusions:

• The use of bioinformatics to predict protective epitopes can enhance the immune response against tick recombinant peptides.
• The developed recombinant peptide shows potential for improving cattle protection against Rhipicephalus microplus infestations.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for developing novel vaccines to control cattle tick populations.