Functional Genomics of the Horn Fly, Haematobia Irritans (Linnaeus, 1758)

Overview

Journal BMC Genomics

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Genetics

Date 2011 Feb 12

PMID 21310032

Citations 11

Authors

Lorena Torres

Consuelo Almazan

Nieves Ayllon

Ruth C Galindo

Rodrigo Rosario-Cruz

Hector Quiroz-Romero

Jose de la Fuente

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae) is one of the most important ectoparasites of pastured cattle. Horn flies infestations reduce cattle weight gain and milk production. Additionally, horn flies are mechanical vectors of different pathogens that cause disease in cattle. The aim of this study was to conduct a functional genomics study in female horn flies using Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) analysis and RNA interference (RNAi).

Results: A cDNA library was made from whole abdominal tissues collected from partially fed adult female horn flies. High quality horn fly ESTs (2,160) were sequenced and assembled into 992 unigenes (178 contigs and 814 singlets) representing molecular functions such as serine proteases, cell metabolism, mitochondrial function, transcription and translation, transport, chromatin structure, vitellogenesis, cytoskeleton, DNA replication, cell response to stress and infection, cell proliferation and cell-cell interactions, intracellular trafficking and secretion, and development. Functional analyses were conducted using RNAi for the first time in horn flies. Gene knockdown by RNAi resulted in higher horn fly mortality (protease inhibitor functional group), reduced oviposition (vitellogenin, ferritin and vATPase groups) or both (immune response and 5'-NUC groups) when compared to controls. Silencing of ubiquitination ESTs did not affect horn fly mortality and oviposition while gene knockdown in the ferritin and vATPse functional groups reduced mortality when compared to controls.

Conclusions: These results advanced the molecular characterization of this important ectoparasite and suggested candidate protective antigens for the development of vaccines for the control of horn fly infestations.

Citing Articles

Identification of anti-horn fly vaccine antigen candidates using a reverse vaccinology approach.

Domingues L, Bendele K, Halos L, Moreno Y, Epe C, Figueiredo M Parasit Vectors. 2021; 14(1):442.

PMID: 34479607 PMC: 8414034. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04938-5.

Endosymbiont of the Horn Fly (Haematobia irritans ): a Supergroup A Strain with Multiple Horizontally Acquired Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Genes.

Madhav M, Parry R, Morgan J, James P, Asgari S Appl Environ Microbiol. 2020; 86(6).

PMID: 31900308 PMC: 7054098. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02589-19.

An insight into the sialome, mialome and virome of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans.

Ribeiro J, Debat H, Boiani M, Ures X, Rocha S, Breijo M BMC Genomics. 2019; 20(1):616.

PMID: 31357943 PMC: 6664567. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5984-7.

Inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channels mediate salivary gland function and blood feeding in the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum.

Li Z, Macaluso K, Foil L, Swale D PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019; 13(2):e0007153.

PMID: 30730880 PMC: 6382211. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007153.

Functional Evolution of Subolesin/Akirin.

Artigas-Jeronimo S, Villar M, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdes J, Estrada-Pena A, Alberdi P Front Physiol. 2018; 9:1612.

PMID: 30542290 PMC: 6277881. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01612.

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