Multi-antigenic vaccine against the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus: A field evaluation

Abstract

The tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is a blood-sucking ectoparasite of cattle that severely impairs livestock production. Studies on tick immunological control address mostly single-antigen vaccines. However, from the commercial standpoint, so far no single-antigen vaccine has afforded appropriate protection against all R. microplus populations. In this context, multi-antigen cocktails have emerged as a way to enhance vaccine efficacy. In this work, a multi-antigenic vaccine against R. microplus was analyzed under field conditions in naturally infested cattle. The vaccine was composed by three tick recombinant proteins from two tick species that in previous single-vaccination reports provided partial protection of confined cattle against R. microplus infestations: vitellin-degrading cysteine endopeptidase (VTDCE) and boophilus yolk pro-cathepsin (BYC) from R. microplus, and glutathione S-transferase from Haemaphysalis longicornis (GST-Hl). Increased antibody levels against three proteins were recorded after immunizations, with a distinct humoral immune response dynamics for each protein. Compared to the control group, a statistically significant lower number of semi-engorged female ticks were observed in vaccinated cattle after two inoculations. This reduction persisted for 3 months, ranging from 35.3 to 61.6%. Furthermore, cattle body weight gain was significantly higher in vaccinated animals when compared to control cattle. Compared to the single-antigen vaccines composed by VTDCE, BYC or GST-Hl, this three-antigen vaccine afforded higher protection levels against R. microplus infestations.

Transfected Babesia bovis Expressing a Tick GST as a Live Vector Vaccine

“…Consequently, a growing number of R . microplus vaccine candidate tick proteins have been identified and evaluated, including Bm86 orthologues and homologs [14–16], tick salivary proteins [17], embryo enzymes [18,19], ribosomal protein [20], and detoxification molecules [21,22], among others.…”

“…Furthermore, an experimental tick vaccine based on recombinant Haemaphysalis longicornis glutathione-S-transferase (HlGST) [30] elicited partially protective responses in bovines against R . microplus [21,22]. An additional striking and positive feature of HlGST vaccination was an increase in cattle weight gain in comparison to control animals [22].…”

“…microplus [21,22]. An additional striking and positive feature of HlGST vaccination was an increase in cattle weight gain in comparison to control animals [22]. …”

Immunoprotective potential of a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus metalloprotease

“…Potential candidate antigens in the composition of a vaccine against R. microplus include proteins with a role in several physiological process regulations (Willadsen et al, 1996;Parizi et al, 2012a;de la Fuente and Merino, 2013). Our research group is also investigating the vaccine potential of a number of tick proteins involved in different physiological roles, like cell detoxification and egg development (Leal et al, 2006;Seixas et al, 2008;Parizi et al, 2011Parizi et al, , 2012b. Although several antigens have been tested for their anti-tick efficacy (de la Fuente et al, 1999;Guerrero et al, 2012), only a few have yielded promising results (Patarroyo et al, 2002;Hajdusek et al, 2010;Almazan et al, 2010;de la Fuente and Merino, 2013).…”

Vaccination with cyclin-dependent kinase tick antigen confers protection against Ixodes infestation

“…Several classes of tick antigens have been evaluated in animal vaccine trials (Parizi et al, 2011(Parizi et al, , 2012bMaritz-Olivier et al, 2012;Karasuyama and Yamanishi, 2014 (SUB/AKR), two proteins that are involved in signal transduction and innate immune response were described as candidate vaccine antigens capable of controlling infestations with vector arthropods. SUB/AKR are orthologous proteins in ticks and insects that interact with NF-kB and other regulatory proteins.…”