Analysis of salivary gland transcripts of the sand fly Lutzomyia ayacuchensis, a vector of Andean-type cutaneous leishmaniasis

Abstract

The saliva of blood sucking insects contains potent pharmacologically active components that assist them in counteracting the host hemostatic and inflammatory systems during blood feeding. In addition, sand fly salivary proteins affect host immunity and have the potential to be a vaccine against Leishmania infection. In the present study, the salivary gland transcripts of Lutzomyia ayacuchensis, a vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes, were analyzed by sequencing randomly selected clones of the salivary gland cDNA library of this sand fly. This resulted in the identification of the most abundant transcripts coding for secreted proteins. These proteins were homologous to the salivary molecules present in other sand flies including the RGD-containing peptide, PpSP15/SL1 family protein, yellow-related protein, putative apyrase, antigen 5-related protein, D7 family protein, and 27 kDa salivary protein. Of note, homologues of maxadilan, an active vasodilator abundantly present in saliva of Lutzomyia longipalpis, were not identified. This analysis is the first description of salivary proteins from a sand fly of the subgenus Helcocyrtomyia and from vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World. The present analysis will provide further insights into the evolution of salivary components in blood sucking arthropods.

Comparative Analysis of Salivary Gland Transcriptomes of Phlebotomus orientalis Sand Flies from Endemic and Non-endemic Foci of Visceral Leishmaniasis

“…Members of the Lufaxin family were detected in saliva of various sand flies [26]–[28], [31], [50], [52], [54]–[56], but not in other bloodsucking insects. Sequences coding for a Lufaxin-like protein, were detected in the cDNA library of MW P. orientalis colony (PorMSP78/KC170976) (Table 2).…”

What’s behind a sand fly bite? The profound effect of sand fly saliva on host hemostasis, inflammation and immunity

“…This was followed, by the completion of salivary gland transcriptomes from relevant sand fly vectors including the salivary transcriptomes from P. ariasi (Oliveira et al, 2006), P. perniciosus , P. argentipes (Anderson et al, 2006), P. duboscqi (Kato et al, 2006), P. arabicus (Hostomska et al, 2009), P. tobbi, P. sergenti (Rohousova et al, 2012), P. papatasi (Abdeladhim et al, 2012), Lu. ayacuchensis (Kato et al, 2013), Lu. intermedia (de Moura et al, 2013) and P. orientalis (Vlkova et al, 2014).…”

Ayadualin, a novel RGD peptide with dual antihemostatic activities from the sand fly Lutzomyia ayacuchensis, a vector of Andean-type cutaneous leishmaniasis

“…This unique form of the RGD peptide is found only in the saliva of Lutzomyia species [18][19][20][21], and ayadualin is the first salivary protein from sand flies to be found to have a dual inhibitory effect on hemostasis. In addition, this peptide inhibits platelet aggregation by a different mechanism from apyrase, the only known antiplatelet component from sand fly saliva, and is the first inhibitor of the intrinsic coagulation pathway from sand flies.…”

“…ayacuchensis, and Lu. intermedia [18][19][20][21]. In the salivary transcriptome analysis of [22][23][24] and L. (Viannia) peruviana in Peruvian Andes [24,25], a peptide containing an RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) sequence flanked by cysteine residues in the C-terminal end was identified as the most abundant transcript.…”

“…ayacuchensis salivary glands [20]. This peptide, named ayadualin, (GenBank accession number: AK416785) coded for 67 amino acids containing a 20 amino acid signal peptide with a predicted molecular mass of 5.3 kDa in the mature form (Fig.…”