Epigenetic Regulation of Tick Biology and Vectorial Capacity

Sandip De; Chrysoula Kitsou; Daniel E Sonenshine; Joao H F Pedra; Erol Fikrig; Judith A Kassis; Utpal Pal

doi:10.1016/j.tig.2020.09.012

Epigenetic Regulation of Tick Biology and Vectorial Capacity

Trends Genet. 2021 Jan;37(1):8-11. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.09.012. Epub 2020 Oct 2.

Authors

Sandip De¹, Chrysoula Kitsou¹, Daniel E Sonenshine², Joao H F Pedra³, Erol Fikrig⁴, Judith A Kassis⁵, Utpal Pal⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
² Laboratory for Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
³ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
⁵ Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
⁶ Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA. Electronic address: upal@umd.edu.

Abstract

Ticks exist across diverse environments and transmit numerous pathogens. Due to their long and unique life cycles, these arthropods likely evolved robust epigenetic mechanisms that provide sustainable responses and buffers against extreme environmental conditions. Herein, we highlight how the study of the epigenetic basis of tick biology and vectorial capacity will enrich our knowledge of tick-borne infections.

Keywords: epigenetics; ticks.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Arthropod Vectors / classification
Arthropod Vectors / genetics
Arthropod Vectors / growth & development*
Disease Transmission, Infectious*
Epigenesis, Genetic*
Host-Pathogen Interactions*
Humans
Tick-Borne Diseases / epidemiology*
Tick-Borne Diseases / genetics
Tick-Borne Diseases / transmission
Ticks / microbiology
Ticks / parasitology
Ticks / physiology*
Ticks / virology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding