Disclosing Hemolymph Collection and Inoculation of Metarhizium Blastospores into Rhipicephalus Microplus Ticks Towards Invertebrate Pathology Studies

Summary

Analysis of tick hemolymph represents an important source of information on how some pathogens cause disease and how ticks immunologically respond to this infection. The present study demonstrates how to inoculate fungal propagules and collect hemolymph from Rhipicephalus microplus engorged females.

Abstract

Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites and Rhipicephalus microplus has great importance in veterinary medicine because it causes anemia, weight loss, depreciation of the animals' leather and also can act as a vector of several pathogens. Due to the exorbitant costs to control these parasites, damage to the environment caused by the inappropriate use of chemical acaricides, and the increased resistance against traditional parasiticides, alternative control of ticks, by the use of entomopathogenic fungi, for example, has been considered an interesting approach. Nevertheless, few studies have demonstrated how the tick's immune system acts to fight these entomopathogens. Therefore, this protocol demonstrates two methods used for entomopathogen inoculation into engorged females and two techniques used for hemolymph collection and hemocytes harvesting. Inoculation of pathogens at the leg insertion in the tick female's body allows evaluation of females biologic parameters unlike the inoculation between the scutum and capitulum, which frequently damages Gené's organ. Dorsal hemolymph collection yielded a higher volume recovery than collection through the legs. Some limitations of tick hemolymph collection and processing include i) high rates of hemocytes' disruption, ii) hemolymph contamination with disrupted midgut, and iii) low hemolymph volume recovery. When hemolymph is collected through the leg cutting, the hemolymph takes time to accumulate at the leg opening, favoring the clotting process. In addition, fewer hemocytes are obtained in the collection through the leg compared to the dorsal collection, even though the first method is considered easier to be performed. Understanding the immune response in ticks mediated by entomopathogenic agents helps to unveil their pathogenesis and develop new targets for tick control. The inoculation processes described here require very low technological resources and can be used not only to expose ticks to pathogenic microorganisms. Similarly, the collection of tick hemolymph may represent the first step for many physiological studies.

Introduction

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is an hematophagus ectoparasite with an enormous negative impact on livestock in tropical areas. This tick is the vector of pathogenic agents such as Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma marginale that, combined with the direct hemofeeding damage, can reduce milk and meat production, cause anemia and ultimately death. Losses caused by this ectoparasite were estimated in 3.24 billion dollars annually in Brazil¹. Sustainable methods are demanded and the use of entomopathogenic agents is considered a promising alternative to reduce the use of chemical acar....

Protocol

Ticks used in the present study were obtained from an artificial colony, mantained at Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, which methods have been approved by the Committee on Ethics for the Use of Vertebrate Animals (CEUA-IV/UFRRJ #037/2014).

1. Tick engorged females

1. After tick gathering, wash engorged females using tap water and immerse them in 0.5% (v/v) sodium hypochlorite solution for 3 min in a 500 mL glass beaker recipient, for cuticle hygiene (Fi.......

Discussion

Inoculation of pathogens is useful when the study aims to investigate the in vivo action of microorganisms in experimental arthropod models because it assures that the pathogen is inside the host. The technique can also be applied to inoculate molecules such as RNA interference (RNAi). Inoculation between the scutum and capitulum is considered easier to perform but frequently damages Gené's organ, impairing the eggs viability^12,13. Gené's organ .......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Alkaline Hypochlorite solution	Sigma-Aldrich	A1727
D-(+)-Glucose	Sigma-Aldrich	G8270-1KG
EDTA	Synth	2706
Fetal Bovine Serum	Gibco	16000036
Flexible rubber	BD
Giemsa stain	Sigma-Aldrich	48900-500ML-F
Glass capillary	CTechGlass	CT95-02
Insulin syringe (needle)	BD	SKU: 324910
KH2PO4	Vetec	60REAVET014512
Leibovitz's L-15 culture medium	Gibco	11415-064
Methanol	Sigma-Aldrich	34860-1L-R
Microscope slides	Kasvi	K5-7105
Microtubes	BRAND	Z336769-1PAK
Na2HPO4	Vetec	60REAVET014593
NaCl	Sigma-Aldrich	S7653-1KG
Neubauer chamber	Kasvi	K5-0111
Penicillin	Gibco	15140163
Protease inhibitor cocktail	Sigma-Aldrich	P2714
Tween 80	Vetec	60REAVET003662