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Physiological changes in Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) experimentally infected with entomopathogenic fungi

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Abstract

Carbohydrate metabolism plays an important role in the physiology and maintenance of energy stores within living organisms. However, when organisms are exposed to adverse physiological conditions, such as during pathogenic infection, these organisms begin to use alternative substrates (proteins and lipids) for energy production. This paper studied the carbohydrate metabolism of Rhipicephalus microplus after infection with Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. The parameters evaluated were glucose concentration, enzymatic activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminostransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminostransferase (AST), amounts of uric acid and urea in the hemolymph, and amount of glycogen in the fat body. The results showed changes in nitrogenous products, including an increase in the amount of urea detected 48 h after infection with both fungi. The enzymatic activities of LDH, ALT, and AST were increased after infection. The amount of glucose was increased 24 h after infection with B. bassiana and was reduced 48 h after infection with both fungi. The amount of glycogen in the fat body was reduced at different times of infection with both fungi. These results demonstrate, for the first time, the changes in carbohydrate metabolism of R. microplus after infection with M. anisopliae and B. bassiana and contribute to a better understanding of this host-parasite relationship. Together with knowledge of diseases that affect these ticks and their susceptibility to entomopathogens, an understanding of tick physiology will be necessary for the effective implementation of current biological control methods and will assist in the discovery of new methods to control this ectoparasite.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to National Center for Genetic Resources (CENARGEN)/Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) for providing the fungal isolate used in this study. This research was supported by grants from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Rio de Janeiro State Research Foundation (FAPERJ). We also thank the Office to Improve University Research (CAPES) for providing the M.Sc. and Ph.D. scholarships. Vânia R.E.P. Bittencourt and Jairo Pinheiro are CNPq researchers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Veterinary Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil

    Isabele C. Angelo

  2. Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil

    Vinícius M. Tunholi-Alves, Victor M. Tunholi & Jairo Pinheiro

  3. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Departamento de Parasitologia, Mestrado em Biociência da Universidade de Cuiabá, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

    Wendell M. S. Perinotto

  4. Animal Parasitology Department, Veterinary Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil

    Patrícia S. Gôlo, Mariana G. Camargo, Simone Quinelato & Vânia R. E. P. Bittencourt

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  1. Isabele C. Angelo
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  2. Vinícius M. Tunholi-Alves
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  3. Victor M. Tunholi
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  4. Wendell M. S. Perinotto
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  5. Patrícia S. Gôlo
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  6. Mariana G. Camargo
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  7. Simone Quinelato
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  8. Jairo Pinheiro
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  9. Vânia R. E. P. Bittencourt
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Correspondence to Isabele C. Angelo.

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Angelo, I.C., Tunholi-Alves, V.M., Tunholi, V.M. et al. Physiological changes in Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) experimentally infected with entomopathogenic fungi. Parasitol Res 114, 219–225 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-4181-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-4181-5

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