Yajun Lu - National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National
Yijia Xu - Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
Chenghang Yu - National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National
Shi Cheng - Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
Qianfeng Xia - Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
Bin Zheng - National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National

Rhipicephalus sanguineus, a repulsive obligate blood feeder, is a three-host tick inflicting tremendous damage. Blood-sucking initiates tick-pathogen-host interactions along with alterations in the expression levels of numerous bioactive ingredients. Key molecules regulating blood meals were identified using the transcriptomic approach. A total number of ۷۴۴ transcripts showed statistically significantly differential expression including ۳۰۹ significantly upregulated transcripts and ۴۳۵ significantly downregulated transcripts in semiengorged female ticks compared to unfed ticks, all collected in ۲۰۲۱. The top ۱۰ differentially upregulated transcripts with explicit functional annotations included turripeptide OL۵۵-like protein, valine tRNA ligase-like protein and ice-structuring glycoprotein-like protein. The top ۱۰ differentially down-regulated transcripts were uncharacterized proteins. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed four associated terms in the cellular component category and ۱۶ in the molecular function category among the top ۲۰ terms. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in GO terms ID ۰۰۰۰۳۲۳ (lytic vacuole) and ID ۰۰۰۵۷۷۳ (vacuole).  The top ۲۰ enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways included metabolism, cellular processes, organismal systems and human diseases. The DEGs were enriched in the KEGG term ID: ko-۰۴۱۴۲ (lysosome pathway) associated with intracellular digestion in the tick midgut epithelium. Molecular markers annotated via comparative transcriptomic profiling were expected to be candidate markers for the purpose of tick control.

Blood meal, Hematophagy, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Tick-host interactions, Transcriptomics