{"id":11628,"date":"2012-10-12T16:20:20","date_gmt":"2012-10-12T20:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sciencebusiness.technewslit.com\/?p=11628"},"modified":"2012-10-12T16:20:21","modified_gmt":"2012-10-12T20:20:21","slug":"key-molecular-factors-uncovered-behind-tick-borne-bacteria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/technewslit.com\/sciencebusiness\/?p=11628","title":{"rendered":"Key Molecular Factors Uncovered Behind Tick-Borne Bacteria"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Wildlife<\/a>
Wildlife tick (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Medical researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University<\/a> in Richmond, with colleagues from Yale University and University of California in Davis, identified pathways and processes used by bacteria responsible for some tick-transmitted diseases to infect humans and animals. The team led by VCU’s Jason Carlyon<\/a> published its findings in the November issue of the journal Infection and Immunity<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Carlyon and his colleagues believe their discoveries could lead a single vaccine to prevent infection by these bacteria, by shutting down access to these infection pathways and processes. VCU has filed a patent for this work, with American and foreign rights available for licensing. The researchers are seeking commercial partners to further develop this technology.<\/p>\n

Bacteria depend for their survival on their ability to invade human or animal cells, which needs to be done in a precise way. In addition, bacteria use specific characteristics on their surfaces to discover the entrances into their host cells. Carlyon and colleagues studied the ways the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum<\/em> infects humans to cause granulocytic anaplasmosis<\/em>, the second most common tick-transmitted disease after Lyme disease in the U.S., also found in Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> say Anaplasma phagocytophilum<\/em> is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis<\/em>), commonly known as a deer tick and found in the South and Middle Atlantic states in the U.S. The western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus<\/em>) found in the Pacific and mountain states also can transmit the Anaplasma phagocytophilum<\/em> bacterium.<\/p>\n

The researchers discovered a protein known as outer membrane protein A or OmpA on the surface of the Anaplasma phagocytophilum<\/em> bacterium, and more specifically, the region of OmpA that mediates infection. This area of the protein appears to be shared by other Anaplasmataceae<\/em> bacteria. The team also identified the sugar residue on the surfaces of host cells to which OmpA binds.<\/p>\n

“These findings are important,” says Carlyon, “because our data also establish a direction for development of a single vaccine that protects against members of an entire family of bacteria that cause disease in humans, domestic animals and livestock.” Carlyon adds that livestock infections carry a significant economic burden, costing the U.S. cattle industry alone some $100 million per year.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/p>\n