Name: disclosing hemolymph collection and inoculation of metarhizium blastospores into rhipicephalus microplus ticks towards invertebrate pathology studies
Uploaded: 2019-06-01T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Disclosing Hemolymph Collection and Inoculation of Metarhizium Blastospores into Rhipicephalus Microplus Ticks Towards Invertebrate Pathology Studies at JoVE.

This study was financed in part by the Coordenac&#227;o de Aperfei&#231;oamento de Pessoal de N&#237;vel Superior (CAPES) from Brazil, finance code 001. CAPES provided Ph.D. scholarship for A.F. Marciano. We thank National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) of Brazil for providing Ph.D. scholarship for J. Fiorotti. This research was also supported by grants of Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) and CNPq. V.R.E.P. Bittencourt is a CNPq researcher.

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
<ol>
	<li>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...

<ol>
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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 Gen&#233;&#39;s organ, impairing the eggs viability12,13. Gen&#233;&#39;s organ ...

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&#160;acaricides2,3,4.
Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium spp., are natural enemies of arthropods including ticks, and some isolates can be used as biocontrollers. These pathogens actively infect the host through the cuticle and colonize their body2,5,6. As the infection develops, cellular and humoral responses are mediated by the tick immune system. Analysis of the tick hemolymph is reported as a useful tool to evaluate the immune responses after the challenging with pathogens7,8.
Arthropods&#39; immune response is divided into humoral and cellular responses. The humoral response involves hemagglutination processes and production of antimicrobial proteins/peptides, whereas the cellular immune response is performed through the hemocytes. These cells are present in the hemolymph from all arthropods and are reported to develop an expressive role in studies involving innate immune response9, as it is directly related to the phagocytosis and encapsulation processes. Accordingly, studies about hemocytes can help to investigate death pathway and understand processes such as autophagy, apoptosis, and necrosis. In some invertebrates as bivalves, the hemocytes&#39; collection faces limitations like cell disruption, low hemolymph volume obtained, and low concentration of recovered cells10. Very frequently, depending on the methodology applied, reduced concentration of cells is obtained, impacting directly on cells quantification and analysis.
The number of hemocytes circulating in the hemolymph is variable among different arthropods and it can change in the same species due to different physiological stages such as sex, age, and the arthropod&#39;s developmental stage11. Hemocytes can also be found adhered to some organs and be released into circulation just after the infection process11. Nevertheless, most studies reported use insects, while ticks remain less explored regarding their physiology and pathology. Despite pathogen inoculation and hemolymph collection in ticks are less used techniques, establishing standard methods helps the development of more accurate studies.
The aim of the present study was to compare the most used methods for hemolymph collection and inoculation of pathogens into R. microplus ticks, evaluating the efficacy in the hemolymph acquisition and hemocytes concentration.

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	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Alkaline Hypochlorite solution</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">A1727</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">D-(+)-Glucose</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">G8270-1KG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">EDTA</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Synth</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">2706</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">16000036</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Flexible rubber</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">BD</td>
			<td style="width:158px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Giemsa stain</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">48900-500ML-F</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Glass capillary</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">CTechGlass</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">CT95-02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Insulin syringe (needle)</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">BD</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">SKU:&#160;324910</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">KH2PO4</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Vetec</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">60REAVET014512</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Leibovitz&#39;s L-15 culture medium&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">11415-064</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Methanol</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">34860-1L-R</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Microscope slides</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Kasvi</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">K5-7105</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Microtubes</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">BRAND</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">Z336769-1PAK</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">Na2HPO4</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Vetec</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">60REAVET014593</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">NaCl</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">S7653-1KG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Neubauer chamber&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Kasvi</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">K5-0111</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Penicillin</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">15140163</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Protease inhibitor cocktail</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">P2714</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:223px;">Tween 80</td>
			<td style="width:116px;">Vetec</td>
			<td style="width:158px;">60REAVET003662</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

disclosing hemolymph collection and inoculation of metarhizium blastospores into rhipicephalus microplus ticks towards invertebrate pathology studies

Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites and Rhipicephalus microplus has great importance in veterinary medicine because it causes anemia, weight loss, depreciation of the animals&#39; 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&#39;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&#39;s body allows evaluation of females biologic parameters unlike the inoculation between the scutum and capitulum, which frequently damages Gen&#233;&#39;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&#39; 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.

This article approaches inoculation and hemolymph collection methods applied to ticks. After the inoculation between the leg thigh and the tick female&#39;s body, some fluid (hemolymph) can be secreted during the process; however, it is important to note that when the inoculation is finished, no liquid or tissues were present in the needle tip or at the inoculation site, ensuring that the fungal suspension was completely inoculated. When the inoculation process was correctly performed, th...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Disclosing Hemolymph Collection and Inoculation of Metarhizium Blastospores into Rhipicephalus Microplus Ticks Towards Invertebrate Pathology Studies at JoVE.

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

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.

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

Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites and Rhipicephalus microplus has great importance in veterinary medicine because it causes anemia, weight ...

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