Immune protection of three serine protease inhibitors vaccine in mice against Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

Bioactive molecules in tick saliva are considered to be key to successful feeding and further the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Problems such as pathogen transmission and animal weight loss result in tick infestation can cause tremendous economic losses to the livestock industry. Therefore, the development of a universal tick vaccine is urgently needed. In this paper, three serine protease inhibitor (serpin) proteins RMS-3, L7LRK7 and L7LTU1 were analyzed with bioinformatics methods. Subsequently the proteins were expressed and purified, and inoculated into Kunming mice for immune protection analysis. The amino acid sequence similarities between RMS-3, L7LRK7 and L7LTU1 were up to 90% in Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The recombinant RMS-3 + L7LRK7 + L7LTU1 showed anticoagulant reaction function and could inhibit the activity of CD4+ lymphocytes, when inoculated into Kunming mice. Additionally, After the immunized mice were challenged with Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the percentage of larvae and nymphs that were fully engorged dropped to 40.87% (P < 0.05) and 87.68% (P > 0.05) in the RmS-3 + L7LRK7 immune group, 49.57% (P < 0.01) and 52.06% (P < 0.05) in the RmS-3 + L7LTU1 group, and 45.22% (P < 0.05) and 60.28% (P < 0.05) in the RmS-3 + L7LRK7 + L7LTU1 immune group, in comparison with the control group. These data indicate that RmS-3 + L7LRK7 + L7LTU1 has good immune protection and has the potential to be developed into a vaccine against the larvae and nymphs of R. sanguineus.

Inserting auxeticity into graphene oxide via bottom-up strategy.

Carbon-based materials that process a wide bandgap, high mechanical performance, thermal stability and adjustable characteristics are in high demand. Auxeticity is one of the factors that helps enhances the mechanical performance. Based on this concept, two stable layered carbon-based materials, namely α-C2O and ß-C2O, are proposed. A new mechanism (multi-directional negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) effect) is induced, which is attributed to the interaction of modified pz orbitals between interfacial layers. This effect introduces high mechanical properties into materials. Besides, all layered materials are ultrawide bandgap semiconductors, which endows them comparable dielectric properties to those of diamond. Furthermore, α-BK-C2O would maintain its configuration over 2000 K, thereby guaranteeing extremely high thermodynamic stability. So far, these advantages suggested that these carbon-based layer materials could be used in nanoelectronics, especially in electromechanical devices.

The antimicrobial peptide Abaecin alleviates colitis in mice by regulating inflammatory signaling pathways and intestinal microbial composition.

Abaecin is a natural antimicrobial peptide (AMP) rich in proline from bees. It is an important part of the innate humoral immunity of bees and has broad-spectrum antibacterial ability. This study aimed to determine the effect of Abaecin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) -induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice and to explore its related mechanisms. Twenty-four mice with similar body weight were randomly divided into 4 groups. 2.5% DSS was added to drinking water to induce colitis in mice. Abaecin and PBS were administered rectally on the third, fifth, and seventh days of the experimental period. The results showed that Abaecin significantly alleviated histological damage and intestinal mucosal barrier damage caused by colitis in mice, reduced the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and the phosphorylation of NF-κB / MAPK inflammatory signaling pathway proteins, and improved the composition of intestinal microorganisms. These findings suggest that Abaecin may have potential prospects for the treatment of UC.

Scanning electron microscopic observation of morphology of Rhipicephalus sanguineus at different developmental stages in Hainan Province / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective To understand the morphological characteristics and ultrastructure of the dominant species of Rhipicephalus sanguineus in Hainan at different developmental stages, and provide theoretical basis for the identification of the lineage and control of Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Methods The external morphology of different developmental stages of the dominant species of Rhipicephalus sanguineus, including larva, nymph and adult tick in Hainan were observed by scanning electron microscope. Results The division between each segment of larva pedipalps was not obvious, and setae was serrated; dental formula type 2 | 2; 3 pairs of podomere; a pair of setae on the anal valve; none of anal groove, spiracular plate, porous area and genital aperture. There was a clear boundary at the beginning of each segment of nymph pedipalps; dental formula type 2 | 2; 4 pairs of podomere; 3 pairs of setae on the anal valve; anal groove; none of porous area and genital aperture. The male adult tick's trichotheca are covered by the pedipalps, and the whole bristles are conical; dental formula type 3 | 3; 4 pairs of podomere; anal groove and paraprocts; 7 setae on the anal valve; genital aperture was oval. The female of adult tick can be distinguished by dental formula 3 | 3; pairs of podomere; porous areas with 3 short setae; anal groove; 4 pairs of setae and 2 pores on the anal valve; genital pore was broadly U-shaped. In addition, the male adult's scutum occupies almost the entire dorsal surface, the basis capituli of larva, nymph and adult tick all were hexagonal, and the existence of Haller's organ was found on the first pair of legs. Conclusions Scanning electron microscopy observation of the different developmental stages of R.sanguineus revealed clear morphological features, preliminarily suggesting that R.sanguineus in Hainan Province may belong to the tropical lineage, which provide a certain experimental basis for the identification of the tick and the comprehensive prevention and control of local tick-borne diseases.