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Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy of Extracellular Vesicles in Three Dimensions
Published on: August 26, 2021
Tick extracellular vesicles in host skin immunity and pathogen transmission
L Rainer Butler1, Julia Gonzalez2, Joao H F Pedra1
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Ticks can transmit a variety of human pathogens, including intracellular and extracellular bacteria, viruses, and protozoan parasites. Historically, their saliva has been of immense interest due to its anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and anesthetic properties. Only recently, it was discovered that tick saliva contains extracellular vesicles (EVs). Briefly, it has been observed that proteins associated with EVs are important for multiple tick-borne intracellular microbial lifestyles. The impact of tick EVs on viral and intracellular bacterial pathogen transmission from the tick to the mammalian host has been shown experimentally. Additionally, tick EVs interact with the mammalian skin immune system at the bite site. The interplay between tick EVs, the transmission of pathogens, and the host skin immune system affords opportunities for future research.
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